Purrfection
by Amelia Valencia
Summary: Just a cheerful night after senior prom, right? Wrong. Find out what happens when four teenagers are wrongly murdered, and why the ancient people worshipped cats as gods. What is the prophosy, and how can four murder victims stop an impending imbalance?
1. Prologue

A/N: OK, so I told myself I wasn't gonna start another fic until The Tragic Paradise was done…but unfortunately as well as fortunately, my writing style is centered heavily on inspiration, and thus my writing comes in sparatic bursts. So, on one hand, I've broken yet another writing-related oath to myself…but on the other hand, this promises to be the beginning of a beautiful new story! For anyone who is concerned, you have no need to fret-The Tragic Paradise is not finished and it will be continued, but as I pointed out before, I have to wait for the inspiration to hit me before I can continue.

Soooo…this one. Wow. I was reading the script to Catwoman and suddenly got this awesome idea and there was so much inspiration behind it that this fic just demanded to be written. So I'm all kinds of excited and I really hope you guys enjoy this one as much as you've enjoyed the Tragic Paradise!

Prologue

"Owwww!" I groaned as I ran into the lockers…again. I was so sick of this; every day it was the exact same thing. I got up in the morning, got ready for school, slouched my way through the bus ride to campus, literally fought my way through the school day, slouched my way through the bus ride home, did my homework, ate dinner, then laid in bed full of self-loathing until I fell asleep. Why this self-destructive routine, you ask? Several reasons. One, I'm what most teenagers would call "unpopular". I don't dress in bedazzled clothes or streak into panic mode if my lipstick smudges. For crying out loud, I don't even wear makeup. I don't care what I look like naturally, which invokes quite a lot of glares and mocking. Two, I'm not skinnier than a football goalpost. Around here, you're fat if you don't have a twelve-inch waistline or smaller. So I'm not anorexic or bulimic…and that matters. I'm not overweight at all, actually, but I'm not skinny enough either. And three? I'm the only blind student at Queen Victoria High School. That's right; I'm blind. Have been from birth, and it makes me the constant victim for all to prey upon.

"Hey-Lisa, are you okay?"

All of course, except for my tiny gang of two loyal friends and my boyfriend. I actually managed to force a tiny smile. "Yeah, I'm okay…should be used to it by now, huh?" It was Darius, one of the only three around here who cared enough about me and had enough of a soul to endure constant mocking along with me without getting so sick of it he leaves my side. I felt his arm brush mine as he helped me reclaim my books and papers. "Thanks," I murmured.

"No problem," he assured, and I could hear the smile on his face. "Sorry I was late. I tried to get here as soon as I could, but hallway traffic is ridiculous at this time of afternoon."

"Not telling me anything I don't know," I grumbled, wrestling my way back to my feet. "At least I managed to hold onto my cane this time."

"See? Now that's the bright side." He handed me my books and kissed my cheek. "You sure you still want to go tomorrow?"

I blinked, surprised. "Of course I am! Senior prom is huge, and I actually have you to go with this time. I never want to relive last year again…" I trailed off, lost in the wretched memory. The year before, I had been stupid enough to attempt Junior prom without a date. Naturally, Gina had gone with Zack, but I hadn't gotten with Darius yet, so I was alone, but I still wanted to go. I had no one to dance with, save for Zack in a couple of songs, but other than that, I spent most of the night sitting at the table, singing along to the music under my breath and answering the occasional question from a waitor or teacher. It actually went pretty harmlessly until the cheerleading captain decided I would look better in slop green than red and dumped a huge bowl of spinach dip all over me. Naturally, I tried to leave, but being blind in an unfamiliar environment makes for a very tragic combination. By the time I actually managed to get out the door, I'm pretty sure everyone but Gina, Zack, and a few teachers were laughing their prissy little butts off at me. The only good thing about that night was that I knew the way home from the dance hall and nobody was home to see my humiliation. I was actually rather dreading this year's prom, but part of me hoped and believed it would be much better now that I had Darius to look after me.

"I still wish I could have already been here last year…nobody would have been laughing at you if I had been there," Darius murmured.

I laughed a tiny bit. "Are you kidding? They laugh at you for being with me…you think you could have kept them from laughing at me?"

"They can laugh at me," he informed, "it's when they laugh at my friends that makes me really scary."

I laughed. "Right. So where are Gina and Zack? Aren't they still coming with us tonight?"

"Yeah, they are. Zack said they were gonna leave campus a bit early cuz he has to pick up his little cousin from preschool and they'd meet us at the little café at four thirty."

"Oh, okay." I gathered up my things from my locker, stuffing my books into my backpack and slung it over my shoulder, the halls considerably more open now that most everyone had cleared out. "Okay…I think I'm ready now."

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "C'mon. We'll go grab a bite to eat and wait for them at the café."

"Sounds good to me," I agreed. "I could really use a sandwich. Didn't eat much at lunch today. I can't stand fish."

"Aren't you allergic anyway?"

I grinned and stretched up to whisper in his ear. "Noooo…that's just my excuse." He laughed, and my smile grew. I just loved his laugh. Actually, I loved his voice period. It was the most soothing and handsome sound I knew of, and his laugh was simply addictive. He was actually from America, so he even came with an exotic accent to compliment that cute tone of his. His father had gotten a job transfer from America to London, so he and his parents had made one big move across the Atlantic. I had met him just before summer break, about a month or so before the end of school. He saw me get slammed to the grass outside and told off the guy who had done it. The fact that he stood up for me without even knowing my name got my attention straight away, but then when he began to stick close to me and look out for me, that really stole my heart. Evidently something about my imperfect self won him over too, because about two months into senior year, he asked me out. He could have been really popular around here…he could have been the king of campus but he turned a blind eye to that to keep it on me. Heh, no pun intended. Next to Gina and Zack, he was the best thing ever to happen to me, and I would be forever loyal to him for that.

We hung out and talked at the café for about a half hour before Gina and Zack arrived. We were still eating our sandwiches when the little bell on the entrance door rang and I heard Zack's loud and boisterous singing fill the building. I couldn't help but laugh as I could almost see Gina's mortified expression as she shouted, "I told you not to dare!"

Without even breaking the rhythm, Zack sang his response. "Which is exactly why I did it! Duu-uuhh!"

I grinned. "Hit him, Gina! Hit him, let me hear it!"

She laughed and waited until they were right at the table before I heard an audible smack against what I presumed was his shoulder. "Why can't you see, what you're doin' to-owwww!" Zack yelped in midsong, and we all got a good laugh out of that one.

"Nice timing on that one, Gina," I complimented, and she snickered.

"Thanks. That's my favorite thing to do when he's singing. Wait for the proper cue, then hit him and see where the ow lands."

"Were you actually singing Elvis Presley?" Darius asked, plainly surprised.

"Yeah, why?"

Darius paused. "Hmm…Elvis with a British accent…I just don't see that working out." We laughed again. "So, guys. Where are we going first?"

"I've been wanting to check out that new store they built a few blocks away from here," Gina chimed. "Looks like they'll have all sorts of cool prom stuff. That okay with you, Lisa?"

I shrugged. "I don't know much about where stuff is, so I'll go wherever you guys want to go. I know one thing though; I'm never wearing a red prom dress again."

They all paused grimly, all knowing the story. "I think you'd look gorgeous in midnight blue or black. You're definitely a dark colors person," Gina said after a minute.

I blinked. "Why? What makes you say that?"

Gina hmmmed softly. "Well, you've got black hair and your eyes are sort of a sky blue. You just look better in darks than lights to me. Darius?"

"She looks great in anything to me, you know that," Darius said with a chuckle. "But I can certainly see you in dark blue or black."

I thought about it, then glanced in Zack's direction. "What do you think?"

"Either way the majority rules, but I agree," he joked.

I laughed a little. "Okay, okay. I'll try for something dark…I kind of like black better than blue though."

"Fantastic!" Gina nearly squeaked. "C'mon, hurry and finish your food! I'm ready to go!"

I laughed and ate the last few bites of my sandwich and gathered up my things. "Long as you don't rush out without us," I teased.

"Never!" she gasped, feigning insult. "If I ran out in a hurry, who would help you make sure you get the right color?"

She was right near me, so I playfully jabbed her arm. "Not funny," I snorted, and she just laughed more.

We left the café and headed for the store. When we got there, I folded up my cane and put it away, choosing instead to use Gina as my guide. It was a lot easier this way inside places so that I wouldn't get lost or, knowing my clumsy nature, break some ancient fifty thousand pound antique. To my amazement, I actually found a beautiful black dress that was quite similar to the one I had imagined. It wasn't too revealing, but it did have that lovely, almost tempting sort of prom beauty. I chose it the moment I saw it, and to my utter delight, it fit me perfectly. I kept it in the plastic cover though, to hide it from Darius until tomorrow night.

Gina ended up purchasing a golden yellow dress, so she told me. It was a silky sort of material, and it looked splendid on her. It had sequens around the boddess that were tiny pearls, and it even had a decorative shawl that hung over her shoulders. She was going to knock Zack dead with it. "Good thing you've got these sequens," I told her with a grin.

"Oh? Why's that?" she asked, an audible grin on her face.

"You're going to need all these sparkles if you're going with Elvis," I teased, and we both cracked up.

"Excellent point. Do you think I should find a golden cape to go along with it?" she asked, still giggling.

"Ugh, never," I groaned, also still laughing. It was times like this that I lived for; times when I was actually having heaps of fun and my life seemed worth it. Looking back now, I should have paid more heed to my feeling of dread surrounding prom night. I couldn't have known it, but the feeling was much more justified than I could have imagined, and something would happen that would change my life-and the lives of my friends-for eternity.

A/N: Ooooo…I dunno about you guys, but this looks pretty ominous to me. ;)

So, as always, tell me what you think so far. What do you make of the four friends, and do you think they really are in true danger, or will Lisa's feeling be all twisted around?

Oh, and just a note…I really couldn't decide on a set point of view for this to be written from, so I will actually be switching it around from time to time. Sometimes it will be from one character's point of view, and sometimes it may be in third person surrounding all of them. But don't worry about any possible confusion, because whenever I switch, I'll put the new P.O.V. identifier in braces to let you know when it switches. If in the future, I decide to settle on one P.O.V., I'll let you know in an author note, but for now, it's going to switch around. So buckle your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen, it's gonna be a bumpy ride! Oh, and please review! ^^


	2. Prom: Dream or Nightmare?

A/N: Mkay, here we go…the prologue was nice and easy, but now things are gonna get a little rough. Thus far, here's what we've established about each character. Remember these, because they'll be important qualities to keep in mind in the coming chapters:

Lisa: The blind member of the group, she is clumsy, often depressed, and has very low self esteem, and has an even lower sense of self appreciation.

Darius: Lisa's boyfriend, he is from America; he's loving, caring, empathetic, and is very protective of Lisa.

Gina: Lisa's first best friend; a bit on the glamorous side, she knows how to make girls look good and is always trying to up Lisa's self esteem.

Zack: Gina's boyfriend, and mostly the comedian of the group. He's not afraid to make himself look like a fool in order to entertain his friends, and is always ready to make Lisa laugh.

They all have great senses of humor, and they all care greatly for others even if others don't necessarily care for them. Again, these qualities will be important in coming chapters, so don't forget them!

And now, without further adieu, I give you chapter 1!

Chapter 1

Prom: Dream or Nightmare?

{Third Person}

If Lisa had sight, she would have laughed at the expression on Darius's face when he laid his eyes on her in her lovely black dress. She looked incredible, and he only wished she could see her own beauty as the rest of them did. Her hair was left free and flat-ironed, cascading down her back like a silken black waterfall, casting the illusion that she was actually wearing a hood, as her hair blended right in with the black of the dress. Gina had convinced her to wear just a bit of makeup just for the one night, and it added to the breathtaking glow she carried. The mascara perfectly bordered her blue eyes and the scarlet color of her lipstick made him shiver at the mere sight of her smile. She wore a black-jeweled bracelet around her right wrist and a silver necklace around her neck, an onyx gemstone encased in a silver heart charm at the very bottom. She was a sight to behold, and he truly wished she could see herself.

Gina didn't look bad either. She wore a golden yellow sleeveless dress, the shawl acting as the sleeves as it draped over her shoulders and arms. The tiny rhinestones glittered all around the front torso of the dress, and a few glittered at the ends of the shawl. It tied in the back and seemed to hug her figure just right. Darius thought Zack was going to faint until he nudged him, prompting a quick recovery.

"Bloody," he whispered, and Darius couldn't help but snicker.

"Ditto. God, look at them…" The two men watched as their dates approached from across the way, the late afternoon sun casting an orange light over them, adding to the stunning sight's beauty. "Still think that cheerleader looked nice?" Darius teased.

"What's a cheerleader?" Zack asked dramatically, eyes locked on Gina. They laughed together and strode forward to meet their girls. "You two look incredible!" Zack exclaimed, taking Gina into his arms.

She grinned, and Lisa blushed. "Thanks," they said together, and Darius mimicked Zack, wrapping his arms around Lisa.

"Ooo, do that again!" he gasped exaggeratedly.

Lisa laughed. "Do what again? Do you want me to cross the street again so you can see the backside?"

"No, but that's a good idea too!" The friends all laughed and Darius took Lisa's hand. "Come on, love. We've got a limo to catch."

Lisa chuckled. "You think they'll let me on if they recognize me as the girl who got spinach dip dumped all over her last year?"

"The only thing people are gonna be dumping on you this year will be compliments," Gina assured. "Zack's already threatened them all with something worse than spinach dip."

"Oh?" Lisa asked, curious in spite of herself.

Zack grinned proudly and bounced a little. "Yep, I sure did. I threatened them with-are you ready?-ketchup and mustard!"

Lisa gaped, then wrinkled her nose. "Eewwwwww!"

"That's exactly what they said," Gina backed with a laugh. "Which is why they'll be nice."

Darius glanced at Zack. "Are you actually carrying the bottles with you?"

Instead of answering, Zack tugged out the front part of his suit jacket, revealing a thin bottle of ketchup in one pocket and mustard in the other. He winked conspiratorially and closed his jacket again. "So, Lisa; other than those funky techno-mix songs, what else can you dance to? I'm eager to find out."

"So am I," Lisa replied honestly. "I've never actually danced with anybody looking at me. Usually I only dance when I know no one can see me."

"Really? Well that's a dirty shame. All the most private dancers are all the greatest ones…none of the open dancers are that good at all."

Darius grinned. "As you are living proof of, right Zack?"

"Hey!" Zack snapped with a smirk, and the girls laughed. "You just wait until they announce the king and queen…after that, I'll dump you into the pool!"

"Ahha, bring it on Elvis," Darius retorted. A short while later, the four sat together at a small table in the dance hall, finishing the last of their desserts. Most everyone else had already relocated to the dance floor, but the four friends were having plenty of fun just talking. Lisa was just glad to be talking to someone period, and she was absolutely thrilled to say the least to actually have a date. Once they decided to move to the dance floor, however, Lisa's mood lifted even higher. As Darius, Gina and Zack all three were quick to inform her, she was apparently a fantastic dancer, and Darius admitted to having difficulty keeping up with her during a couple of songs. She just laughed it off, for once too high-spirited for her mood to be dampened. Zack stayed fairly close, and not a soul dared to speak a negative word to or about Lisa. She was so grateful to have friends like them, and she just knew they would always stick together.

After a while of dancing, they retired back to their table for some more chatting fun. None of them were voted for king or queen, but they merely shrugged this off. "Meh, who wants to be high school royalty anyway?" Gina piped up, a smirk forming on her lips. "You never have any real friends, you're forced to marry some…prince…" she sarcastically spat the word, feigning distaste.

"You have to do everything perfectly and properly, and you never get to have any fun," Darius added.

"It's all about protocall and stiffness, and you can never wear jeans," Lisa submitted.

"And then your prince turns into a toad and you have to kiss him and get warts just to get your husband back!" Zack exploded, and the four burst into gails of laughter.

"You can't even hold your silverware the way you want!" Gina choked out through laughter.

"Oh, and the council! Don't even get me started on the royal council!" Darius sighed dramatically.

"I know, right? If it were up to them, it would take a week just to decide that the pantry needs to be refilled." Zack rolled his eyes and dropped his face into a disgruntled frown. "I'm hungry now, for heavens sake…the bloody pantry is empty!"

The rest of their time at the prom was spent mostly in such a manner. They joked and laughed until it was time to depart. Instead of taking the limos, they decided to walk to the park for a couple more hours. None of them were tired, and it was a beautiful night, if a bit chilly. The park was only a short walk away, so they set off to enjoy the rest of their evening in the botanical quiet that was the park gardens. They walked along the garden paths, just talking and enjoying each other's company for a while before deciding to head home. As they made their way toward the exit, however, they overheard voices. Curious, they peered around the entrance gate to see who else would be out so late.

"Hey…isn't that Ian Cross?" Gina asked, puzzled. "What is he doing with those thugs?"

The boy they spoke of, Ian Cross, stood in a shadowed section of the sidewalk just to the right of the garden gates with five leather-clad men, all looking quite a lot like gangsters. Ian himself was dressed casually, though he did have on a leather jacket similar to theirs.

"No wonder I never liked him," Zack murmured. "He always did look like a thug to me…"

"Shhh," Lisa warned, her brow furrowing. "Listen."

The four listened closely, icy chills caressing their spines as they heard tidbits of conversation…

"…the school on graduation day…won't suspect a thing…just press the…will trigger the bomb…out in sixty seconds…"

"He's gonna bomb the school!" Gina whispered urgently, her eyes wide. "We have to call someone…Scotland Yard-"

"Will they believe us?" Darius asked. "Wouldn't we need some sort of proof to back our story?"

"He's right," Lisa whispered thoughtfully. "None of us like him, so it would be natural for us to make up a story just to get him into trouble."

"Well we've got to do something," Zack argued. "We can't just let eight hundred people die in a brutal explosion…"

At that moment, a tiny frond from a plant waved beneath Gina's nose in the breeze, prompting an instant sneeze. They all went completely rigid, and the six men froze as well. Ian turned slowly to face their general direction. His eyes landed first on Lisa, and she could feel his cold stare. "Oh god…!" Lisa whimpered, and all at once time sped up again.

"Get rid of them!" Ian shouted. "They'll ruin everything!"

"Go go go go go!" Darius shouted, grabbing Lisa's arm urgently. The four turned away, charging back into the gardens. They knew that was a bad direction to run, but they had no choice. Ian's five gangsters charged after them, each drawing pocket knives or handguns with silencers. Zack glanced back only once before realizing their lives were in danger.

"Bloody 'ell, they're going to kill us!" he screamed, and Lisa felt her blood run cold. "Split up! Somebody go for help! Do what you can to confuse them!" With that, he broke away from the group, plowing straight into an overgrown patch of flowers and out of sight. One of the men with knives branched off after him. A dozen or so yards further down the path, Gina followed suit, bolting in the other direction and diving into a field of daisies. A second man angled to follow.

"Darius," Lisa whimpered desperately. "We can't split up-you can't leave me!"

"I'm not going to, love!" he assured. "I won't leave you anywhere…come on!" Lisa yelped as he grabbed her right off her feet and began to carry her.

"Darius, you'll wear yourself down! You can't do this!"

"Nonsense, I've got you! I've-ahhh!" He abruptly fell forward as blood poured from somewhere in his back. Lisa tumbled painfully onto the cobblestone path and sat back up immediately.

"Darius! Darius, what happened? Are you all right?" Darius only groaned and coughed, and Lisa sobbed painfully, hearing a gun cocking. "No…no please! We didn't hear or see anything, I swear! Please don't-!" Her cries for mercy were cut short as a burning pain ripped through her chest. She gasped and choked, reaching up to touch where it hurt, and gasped as something warm, wet and sticky poured over her hand like water from a glass. Blood. Her thoughts swirling and blurring, she slowly slumped to the ground. The last thing Lisa remembered was feeling her hand falling through the air and coming to rest atop what felt like Darius's arm. She whimpered quietly, frightened and hurt. Even as the pain began to fade, so did her life.

Unbeknownst to the entire group, the men missed four witnesses…witnesses they would never think capable of bringing them to justice. Resting atop a fence just at the edge of the gardens, four cats sat watching sympathetically. Like the group, they were two male and two female. After studying the scene for a few moments as the murderers departed, one female broke the silence.

"Should we help?" she asked, flicking her tail uncertainly.

"The time has come," one male replied in a low voice. "It is what Bast desired of us." Nodding in unison, the four cats lept to the ground and spread out, two going to Darius and Lisa while the other two branched further out to locate Gina and Zack. The time had finally come, and neither the cats nor the humans could have dreamed that they would be part of the prophosy's fulfillment.

A/N: Ha ha ha! I'm loving this. I put up the first two chapters in one spin so that you guys can get interested. ;) I admit, the first chapter was a bit dull, but that's why I'm giving you this one too, so that it can really grab your attention! Aren't I sweet? lol

R&R!


	3. Reborn

A/N: Yays, chapter-uhh…two! XD I guess it's technically chapter three, but it's only chapter two in the story. By the way, since I failed to say it before, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (or Chanukkah or Quanzah or whatever you may celebrate) and I hope you have a great new year too!

OK, so I wanna give an absolutely humongously enormous shoutout to my best friend! To protect her identity, I'll refer to her here as Eris cuz it's her character's name. I had two major holes in the plot for this story that, although they wouldn't need to be filled immediately, they did need to be filled fairly quickly so that all the little clues and hints throughout the story make sense when the end comes. So I was talking to her Wednesday night and told her what I needed and, awesome gal that she is, she helped me completely fill the gaps in less than fifteen minutes! And it made this story plot much more exciting and full of twists than I think it would have originally been! So thanks a heap, Eris! Also, she gets full credit for the parts that she came up with…but I can't give those away right now because, well…it's a mystery story! But don't worry…at the end of the story, I'll list everything that Eris formulated so you can see just why I'm giving her so many thanks and why this story will be twice as awesome thanks to her.

Woohoo, so on with the story! Who were those cats on the fence, what did they do, and what did that one mean when he said "the time has come"? Let's find out, shall we?

Chapter 2

Reborn

{Gina}

I was lost in the void…some sort of dark, gold-tinted place deep inside my head I didn't even know existed. I was disoriented, confused, my entire torso ached, and I felt sick. Next to all of that, I actually felt really weird…really unnatural. There are no words to describe the feeling. What had happened? I honestly couldn't remember. Visions flashed through my head, streaking past much too quickly for me to make sense of them. Music, a dress, strobing lights, flowers, a pair of green eyes, something glinting in the moonlight, the stone path flying up to meet my face…it was all too much. I let out a sound of pain and frustration, and to my shock, it sounded like a cat! Sure I could always imitate animal sounds, but I wasn't trying to be a cat…I was trying to make sense of my own head. Suddenly, a soft voice filled my ears.

"Are you all right? Come now, you must wake up. We cannot stay here much longer." I frowned, confused. I didn't recognize that voice, and yet I felt compelled to obey. Slowly, I cracked my eyes, and gasped at what I saw. I was lying on my back, concealed in a bush of thick daisy vines. All I could see was the sky above me and parts of the plants around me. I blinked slowly, trying to register why everything looked so strange. Was it night? Morning? Day? I had no idea, but when I turned my head to peer at a plant beside my head, I realized it was night. There was a deep shadow beneath the plant, but I could see right through it. How was that possible?

I slowly sat up, bringing my hands to my face and rubbing it drowsily. Why was I surrounded by plants in what I presumed was the middle of the night? I groaned again, and again it came out sounding like a meow. Why was I doing that? I heard a faint sound of movement and spun around, blinking in further confusion when I saw a cat sitting next to me, her golden eyes peering up at me with concern and slight amusement. When I looked at her, her eyes glinted in the faint lighting around us and glowed brightly. I blinked rapidly and reached out, opening my mouth to speak, but I couldn't. My mouth felt strange, alien, even to myself. I couldn't figure out how to speak! What was wrong with me? The voice came again, but this time I realized who it belonged to…because I was looking right at her.

"You'll learn to speak again soon. It's a temporary disorientation. Come now, you must learn to move in your new body." I stared at her. New body? I looked at my hands. Nothing had changed; I still had thin hands with five fingers each. When I looked down at them, however, I saw something else that filled me with dread. I was wearing a golden dress, the midriff of which was nearly completely shredded and coated with dry blood! With a sharp cry, I lept to my feet and spun in a quick circle, tears welling in my eyes as I patted myself down, trying to find the source of the blood instinctively. "Settle down, don't worry!" the cat purred urgently. "You're fine now; you've been healed, you hear? Healed."

I stopped, confused and looked down at her. A bit of my conscious mind manipulated my jaws into working and I murmured, "Wh…what?"

She smiled. "You aren't hurt anymore. You've been given new life, but I cannot explain right now. We have to depart from these gardens before any people show up. Everything will be explained soon, I promise. But for now, you must trust me."

"Trust a talking cat?" I whispered in a trembly voice, squeezing my eyes shut. "I've got to be dreaming, I've got to be dreaming…cats can't talk…"

"Yes, and humans typically cannot speak either, but that's different now too…now come along." My eyes shot open again and looked down at her. She was smirking faintly, and with a flick of her ears, she turned and began trotting back through the weeds. "We must regroup with the others."

"Others…?" I asked, following the cat without really knowing why. "You mean my friends?" I was a bit wobbly on just my two legs at first, but after a few yards I felt much more comfortable and followed her easily, weaving myself in and out of the weeds…just like her. Had to be dreaming.

"Yes, little one, your friends," the cat purred gently, stepping out of the plants and onto a cobblestone path. I blinked, staring down at the stone under my feet. The last of my mental flashes blazed by again inside my head, and the ghost of an agonizing pain shot through my abdomen. I winced and looked away from it quickly, focusing instead back on the cat. I studied her intently, curious. She was beautiful in the moonlight. Her coat was red, black and white in an almost tigerlike pattern. I heard another noise and looked around quickly, on the alert. After a moment or two, I saw something that shocked me beyond words.

All three of my friends crawled out of the shrubs on all fours, following three other cats. I frowned, looking down at my hands again. "Why are they crawling?"

"Again, it will be explained shortly."

My brow furrowed. "Who are you? At least, what do I call you?"

"Ahh…forgive my rudeness," she said, abruptly turning to face me again. With a soft smile and a flick of her tail, she dipped her head in greeting. "My name is Bombalurina, but most of my friends call me Bomba. And you are?"

I paused, actually having to think about it. "I'm Gina…Bomba. That's kind of cute."

Bomba curled her lip slightly, but smiled nonetheless. "Thank you." She turned to peer at the others again. "Do we take them now?"

One of the other cats, an almost totally black male with a white face and a few white stripes, nodded, his voice soft and velvety. "Yes; we must return before any humans show up." He glanced around at my friends and I, giving us each a curt nod. "Come, brothers and sisters. We will explain everything as soon as we are safe."

Acting on reflex, I started to reach for Lisa's hand to guide her, but the cat at her side swiped her claws at me. Not threateningly, just detouringly. "That will no longer be necessary," she said politely, her voice quiet and gentle. "I am her eyes now."

I blinked, confused, but nodded and followed Bomba closely, my friends all eventually lifting to walk only on their feet like me. I took this opportunity to study the cats. Lisa's cat was a gold and black female with bright green eyes. Darius walked alongside Lisa, occasionally stroking her arm with his knuckles, or even batting at her like a cat. His cat was the black and white male who seemed to be the leader, and Zack was slightly behind us, though I kept feeling him tossing my hair from behind me as he typically would do. I glanced down and over my shoulder at his cat. His cat was another male, this one bright orange with tiger stripes, a white-patterned face, and a white belly. Instead of exiting via the gate, to my amazement, the first cat squeezed through the bars of the fence and looked back expectantly. My gaze shot to Darius, my eyes widening. No way…surely he couldn't!

Even as I was doubting, however, Darius stepped forward and angled himself sideways and slipped through the bars with minimal effort. I was so confused, and my confusion became concern when Bomba turned to me and nodded. "It's your turn."

I frowned, but felt compelled to obey again. Taking a deep breath, I inched forward and slipped one leg between the bars. On instinct, I sucked in my gut and began to wriggle my shoulder into the narrow space. To my absolute shock, I began to slip right into the tiny gap, and it didn't even hurt! The last thing to slip through was my head, and even that slipped through with only slight discomfort. I gawked down at Bomba and whispered, "That was…amazing! How did I do that?"

She chuckled. "You are a cat now…believe it or not. Please, no more questions until we are safe. Unwanted ears mustn't overhear us."

I didn't like the way she said that, but I nodded and continued to follow her. As we traveled, the cats demonstrated one feline trick after another, all of which my friends and I mimicked with rapid improvement. At one point, the cats stopped to sharpen their claws on a picket fence. We all stared blankly for a moment or two. I looked awkwardly down at my hands, then slowly curled my fingers. I nearly had a heart attack when inch-long claws slid from my fingertips! The more I discovered about my new self, however, the more in love I fell with my newfound powers. I truly was a cat. I just couldn't help but wonder…had I always been this way? What were those flashes in my head all about? Why had I been healed? The more I thought about it, the more my gut twisted and wrenched. What had happened to us?

A/N: OK! I'm having way too much fun with this, but I just love it way too much. Lol!

Anyone care to guess who the other three cats are? Fifty fic points to whoever gets them right! Lol Hope you guys are as eager for the next chapter as I am! These things tend to write themselves for me. I have the plot, but the space-fillings and minor details and twists always seem to pop out of nowhere and even shock me, so I just love 'em. ^^

I actually think this fic might be done before The Tragic Paradise is…just because I have soooo much inspiration for this one and the material just keeps on comin'! No clue how many chapters this one will end up with, but I guarantee it'll be good!


	4. Explanations

A/N: Yay, I gots reviews!

Passionate Admiral: Thanks for the longest reviews I've ever gotten (next to Emily's O.o)! I gotta say, I'm impressed at your intuition! 100 fic points to you for guessing two of the three cats correctly! (I'm not sure what you can do with fic points, but hey…they're points, right? XD) Lisa's is Demeter, and Zack's is Skimbleshanks, but you were very close with Darius's. I can see how you'd think he's Munkustrap, but not quite. ;) Great guess though! And just so you know, while there is an underlying fact in this story that they could become fully feline, the four ex-humans will not become full-blooded cats in this story. Having them as cat people is how this ties into Catwoman as well as future twists. If I decide to write a sequel for this story, they may turn into cats then, but for now, they are only half-cat. :D Oh, and I read your bio, and I agree with you 100% on your opinion of today's Disney works as opposed to the classics! I have a bookshelf with two whole overlapping shelves full of nothing but the older Disney movies. All of them VHS's that my dad always used to buy for me. Gotta love the classics!

Emily: You're such a perfectionist! Hahaha, just kidding hun. I'm fully aware that my version of English schooling is probably very different from how it actually is, but being American and thus having a lack of knowledge of English education, it's expected to be different. Plus, it wouldn't be a fiction if it were entirely accurate, now would it? Lol I truly do appreciate the info, though, and I may put that to use in future fics. Oh, and because you wondered, the term "campus" just refers to the school's property within the landline. A school that has multiple buildings such as a college or most modern high schools…all of those buildings and everything that is on school property is referred to as being "on campus". In American high schools, we have four years of high school: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. Both Junior and Senior year have proms in which two from the junior class are voted as prince and princess while two from the senior class are voted king and queen. (On this subject, I was high school prom queen! And our theme was the Twilight Saga, so I was all like, "Ha ha! I told you I was the Queen of Twilight!" XD) So yes, I do appreciate the information, but this story is meant to be a mixture of English and American stuff. :D Anyone who hasn't, you REALLY need to read this chick's story! The Yellow Eyes of the Sickened Cat is so addictive it would make a perfect coffee substitute! Hahaha.

OK, so I had (and still have) no idea what POV to do this one from, so I'm gonna start it out from Lisa's POV simply because I'm sure you are wondering what Demeter meant when she told Gina that she is Lisa's eyes now. It may switch somewhere along in the chapter, but again, you'll always know whose POV it is.

Chapter 3

Explanations

{Lisa}

By the time we got to where we were going, I had fully transferred to my feet/hind legs. I wasn't sure what to call them because, in a sense, it felt better to move on all fours, and yet it was just as comfortable remaining on my two legs in order to have my hands free. Demeter perched on my shoulders, her soft purring echoing in my ear. When I had woken up, to my utmost bafflement, I was able to see. Not in the proper sense, I'm sure, because I still could not see from my eyes themselves. But in my mind, inside my head-I could see everything, myself included. Once I had settled down enough for her to explain what I was experiencing, Demeter had told me that she had given a section of her own sight to me. She said it was hard to explain, but she had allowed my mind to link with hers in such a way that what I was now seeing was through her eyes. I didn't even realize that I was talking to a cat until she had looked at her own reflection in a little pond. Then, I had gotten it, but it was still very strange. She said it would take practice to get used to, but she felt this would make our job much easier. I had no clue what she meant by "our job", but she assured me that I would know everything soon enough.

As we moved along, Demeter allowed me to study my surroundings as well as my friends, whom I was seeing for the first time. First she showed me Gina. Gina was about the same height and size as me, but she looked a bit more toned than I was, probably because she went jogging every other morning. It nearly made me cry to see the condition her dress was in. It was such a beautiful garment, and to see it half shredded like old rotted curtains just broke my heart. I recalled that it had been golden yellow, she had told me, and it was so swirled with blood that I couldn't honestly tell which color was which. I silently asked Demeter, being able to communicate my thoughts to her merely by thinking them. She explained that the darker color was red, dried blood while the lighter color was the golden yellow. Demeter helped me further by explaining the colors everyone else had. Gina had red hair and bright green eyes, and she seemed to be a bit more uncertain than I was. She too was walking on two legs, but she gazed around warily, as though she were afraid of being seen. I don't guess I could blame her, really; this whole situation was rather queer. If anyone were to see us, they probably would think us an increasingly odd sight. After all, who goes out for a predawn stroll with their cats in bloodstained prom attire? Yes, I saw her point.

Next I saw Zack. He was somewhat tall, looked pretty muscular, and wasn't bad looking either. His hair was, as Demeter called it, dirty blond and his eyes were a light blue. He had a strong jaw and a confident stride. He seemed to be having the most fun. His suit had been black with a golden tie, matching Gina quite well. My breath nearly caught in my throat when I saw Darius, however. His suit had been all black with a white undershirt. He had brown hair and very light brown eyes, almost looking the color of caramel. His skin was slightly dark, as he spent a lot of his time outside and he was handsomely muscled, more so than Zack, but not so much as to be called "buff". He was taller than Zack, and Demeter's purring was momentarily disrupted as she giggled at me.

"What?" I whispered under my breath.

"Nothing," she insisted. "It's nothing at all." Like I believed that. Whatever confusion I had only amplified when we reached our destination.

"A junkyard?" Zack asked, furrowing his brow. "Why are we here?"

"This is our home, the Jellicle Junkyard," Darius's cat explained in his soft voice. "We will be safe to speak here without the pressure of prying ears. Do come in." Zack's cat pushed open the gate and we strode in cautiously. The moment I was through, I sensed many other presences surrounding us. I looked around slowly, Demeter following my head movements to show me the view. Pairs of eyes flashed and glowed all around us, though the rest of their bodies were still concealed. As we reached the center of the area, I spotted two cats sitting upon a large tire.

One was obviously very old, the one at his side much younger. The younger one, as Demeter explained, was silver and black, and his name was Munkustrap. He turned to look incredulously at the older cat, his voice smooth and low. "Father…can they be here?"

The old cat, who Demeter revealed to be known as Old Deutoronomy, took one look at us and murmured in a shocked voice, "The time has finally come. Bast bless you all." Being the mythology geek of the bunch, I knew right away that Bast was the Egyptian goddess of cats. What had we fallen into? What time had come? He must have taken note of the confusion on our faces, for Old Deutoronomy feebly lept down from his perch and flicked his tail at us. "Please, follow me. There is much to be told."

We followed the old cat to a larger area of the junkyard where there was room for us humanoids to fit. He arranged us all in a circle and sat himself in the center. He looked each of us over before addressing the cats. "Demeter, Bombalurina, Skimbleshanks, and Mistoffelees…it amazes me that you four were the ones chosen to give life to the saviors of cats."

"Saviors?" Gina asked, fiddling nervously with one of her claws.

"Yes, child," Deutoronomy confirmed. "You see, there is an ancient legend as old as the beginning of time for us felines. The legend of Bast and the great betrayal. Has it already been explained to you what you have become?" We all shook our heads. "Very well. This story will explain it all. Centuries ago, when the Temple of Bast still stood in ancient Egypt, there were many raids and attempts by the Persians to destroy the temple. They saw the temple and the priestesses who worshipped there as signs of the devil, as evil acts. One day, they nearly succeeded. As the front wall of the temple was being burned and crushed by a battering ram, the six priestesses drank of the forbidden gord. They would rather die at Bast's paws than be savagely impaled on the blades of the Persian tyrants. They all fell to instant death. As they had dedicated their lives and their souls to Bast, she saw it fit to revive them. Each of the thousands of cats within her sanctuary gave one of their nine lives to give birth to the ladies once again. When the Persians arrived, they saw nothing but the robes the priestesses had worn. Giving it no mind, they sliced up the clothes and began to steal all that they could. However, the priestesses were not gone. They dropped from the high rafters onto the Persian soldiers, quick and nimble as the cats themselves. They had been given their own lives back as well as a thousand cat lives from each of the cats. The six catwomen became known as Bast's daughters, and the Guardians of the Sacred Temple. They rebuilt the temple and restored the valuables to their former glory, and only those true to Bast's glory were permitted safe entrance. Impostors and bandits were denied entry, while heedless intruders were stricken down by the guardians' claws."

We listened, intrigued. I, for one, was entirely spellbound by the story. So that was what we had become…cat people. "So, if I may ask," Darius spoke up, and Deutoronomy nodded. "That seems to have a peaceful ending…why do cats need saviors?"

Deutoronomy smiled tolerantly. "Oh, dear boy, who said that was the ending? I was just getting to that." He shifted, getting more comfortable and Darius smiled sheepishly, looking embarrassed. "Now then…this proceeded as the norm for several decades. Until, one summer, the day came when one of the six guardians felt she should be the only guardian. She had begun to enjoy her power, and felt she was the only responsible of the six. She decided she would get rid of her five sisters. She waited until she knew a Persian squaddrant was nearby, then she slipped unnoticed out of the temple. She went to the Persians and, without a word, struck down one of their soldiers and openly revealed herself to be inhuman. Enraged, the Persians sought to kill her, but she ran. She led them all the way back to the temple where she knew her sisters were sleeping and would be caught unawares. She burst into the temple, leaving the doors unsealed and launched herself into the rafters to watch. The Persians broke into the temple and immediately attacked the sleeping guardians, not realizing that they were overlooking the one who had actually initiated the war. As the traitor watched, her five companions were cut down one by one until eventually, all were overcome and the Persians set fire to the temple. As it crumbled slowly to ash, it is said that Bast rose from her statue, enraged at the betrayal. Knowing she could not hide from Bast, the traitor begged forgiveness for her sin, but Bast had already made her decision. She reclaimed the guardian's former life, stealing away her physical being and sealed her away in a bronze statue depicting Bast herself. Once the traitor was sealed, Bast removed the right eye of the statue and hurled both pieces of the relic into the sky in opposite directions, so that the pieces would be forever separated and the eye would never again be replaced. It is said that if the eye were ever to return to its place within the statue, the traitor's soul would be released and the wielder of the eye would be given eternal life. There is a prophesy that says one day the statue would be found, and the last remaining daughter of Bast must rise again to stop the traitor." He locked gazes with each one of us, his golden eyes ancient with wisdom. "And I believe that you four have been brought here because you must be the saviors."

"But, Deuteronomy, the prophesy only says the last remaining daughter of Bast," I pondered. "So then why would there be four of us?"

"I do not know; I believe it is possible that the last daughter may have split her soul into four beings when she died, or perhaps all four of you are descendents of hers. Your guess is as good as mine." I frowned, confused.

"Well," Gina mused after a long pause. "I'm sure we'd all be glad to help however we can, but…in all honesty, this sounds like it is way over our heads, sir."

Deutoronomy smiled slightly. "I understand your doubt, child, but hear me when I say that Bast would never lie, and if you four are the chosen ones, then it must be within your power. I believe Misto can explain your abilities to you." Darius's cat, Mistoffelees, nodded with a smile. "Actually, it is quite strange indeed that two of you are male. There is no known record of a male guardian being born. You two must be the first," Deutoronomy confessed. "I must say, it's rather shocking."

"I'm sorry if I come across as rude, sir, but…" Zack began, pausing as if uncertain. "Are we allowed to return home? I'm quite certain our families will be very worried if we don't come home by dawn."

Gina nodded in agreement. "And I think they'd have a caniption fit if they see us in all this bloodstained clothing…"

"I think what they are trying to say is, they would like to go home to think this information over, am I correct?" Skimbleshanks spoke up, and his voice was velvety with a pleasant Scottish touch.

We all nodded together and Deutoronomy thought for a moment, then nodded as well. "Of course, so long as you will return here each night, you may leave for home before dawn of every morning. Run along now; you haven't much time."

We all stood again and Demeter lept from my shoulders. "Do you want me to see you home?" she asked me politely.

I shook my head. "No thank you; Gina lives just down the block from me. She can help me." Demeter nodded and trotted off to nuzzle Munkustrap, who I now realized must have been her mate. I felt Gina nudge my elbow, and I took her arm, thinking over all that Deutoronomy had said.

As we left the junkyard, talking amongst ourselves about what had just happened, Zack suddenly spoke up, his voice full of distress. "Aww man!" We all turned to peer at him strangely. I heard the sound of quiet shuffling as he took of his suit jacket, and Darius and Gina burst into laughter.

"What?" I asked, wanting in on the evident return of good humor.

"He's covered in ketchup and mustard!" Gina choked out through her laughter.

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

Darius cut in then, also struggling through the laughter. "He had a bottle of ketchup and a bottle of mustard in his coat to squirt anyone who said or did something rude to you with, and now he's coated in the stuff!"

"Evidently those bullets punctured them and I didn't even know it," Zack complained. "Eewwwwww! That's so disgusting!" Now I was laughing helplessly as well. "Sheesh, and I didn't even say anything about you!"

"You're already covered in blood, and you're worried about the condaments?" I asked when I could breathe properly again.

"Good point, but it's still disgusting! Hey, you want some? Come here and let me hug you!"

"Don't you dare!" I hissed playfully, flexing my claws at him. "I'll make you even redder!"

"Hey Zack," Darius jumped in with a cackle. "With all that red and yellow mixing into orange, you really look like Skimble now!"

"Ha ha, you are so hilarious," Zack growled teasingly, and the laughter continued. Looking back, we really shouldn't have been that happy, but I think we were just giddy to be alive and seemingly well more than anything else. Or perhaps there was a bush of catnip somewhere nearby, but whatever the reason, for that time being, we felt great and our spirits were high.

When I got home, I thanked Gina and snuck inside. I was glad that there was no dripping blood for me to worry about as I padded silently down the hall and up the stairs. I slipped into my room and shut the door quietly, leaning against it with a relieved huff. I had made it. What was I going to do with the ex-dress? I frowned, genuinely upset that I would never wear the dress again. I truly did love it, and it actually made me mad that Ian's croanies had to ruin it. I grimaced with rage as I delicately removed the dress and rolled it up, sighing as I buried it in the bottom of my trash can. I stepped into my bathroom to take a shower and turned on the water. Instantly, I was repulsed at the sound of the running water. Of course…cats hate water. I had to get clean somehow though, and I just knew I wasn't flexible enough to lick all the blood out of my hair, nor was I about to try. Swallowing the urge to hiss and recoil, I stepped into the hot shower and began to scrub myself clean as quickly as I could manage. It took everything I had to keep my claws in; the last thing I needed was to bleed some more.

As I washed my face, I felt my arm brush past something odd on my chest. I felt it curiously, my stomach twisting painfully as I realized it was the scar left from the bullet. Two things occurred to me then: one, Demeter must have healed me when she resurrected me, and two, it was mercifully just low enough to be hidden by my shirts. At least I wouldn't have to try to explain that to my parents. Soon as I was finished cleaning, I was out of that water in a single bound and almost frantically drying myself with the towel. I wrung the water out of my hair until it was mostly dry, then combed it out and returned to my bed, still wrapped in the towel and flopped heavily onto my stomach. I laid still for a few minutes, then rolled onto my back and examined my claws with one hand, then the other. I stretched out as far as I could, and several of my joints crackled back into place. Instantly, I felt much more flexible. I sat up again and began to stretch in all different directions, testing my new abilities. I discovered that I would probably make a fine yoga pupil now. I flexed my spine, reaching backward over my own head and trailed my fingers down the side of the bed until my fingertips touched the wooden floor. I smiled with satisfaction and sat up again, a thought occurring to me: would we be going to school today?

I frowned, feeling around for my cell phone. I found it just where I had left it the day before, charging on my bedside table. Personally, I didn't think it was such a good idea to go to school since Ian had directed our murder, and if he saw us alive…he might try again. I dialed Darius first, tapping my claws on my knee as it rang. "Darius, it's me," I whispered softly, knowing he'd have no trouble hearing me. "I think we have a problem…"

A/N: Oooo, looks bad now. If the teens can't go to school because of Ian, will they get to graduate? And if they don't go, what will their parents make of the sudden odd behaviors? Things will get even stranger in the coming days leading up to graduation, and what was all that about blowing up the school? What purpose could Ian possibly have for that? Feel free to guess, though you may not get the answers until much later. ;)

Do you guys think they should go to school? Or should they play ill until graduation day? Or, yet another option…should they play along with the murder and pretend to be dead, even hiding from their own families? I may already have this worked out, but tell me what you guys think could lead to the most interesting events. ;)


	5. Goodbyes

A/N: Ahh, I just love reviews.

Wombaat: Sorry I didn't respond to your review for chapter 2, but I didn't see it until after I published chapter 3, otherwise I would have. So yes, fifty fic points to you for having guessed that Darius's cat was Misto! As for Lisa describing Gina's dress, you will recall that Lisa mentions that Gina told her what the dress looked like, and a blind person can actually describe things rather well when touching and observing them. Very simple explanation for that. And again, as far as accuracy, this is a fiction story. Things aren't supposed to be completely in coordination with reality, so try not to look too much into it. Just enjoy the fiction! :D

Micale: You'll get an opportunity to get some fic points at some point, no worries! As for your admiration of Darius, yes, I too find him quite handsome. I intended him that way. ;) And as for the ancient cat people having 1000 lives and you thinking they would have just come back to life…maybe they did. ;P Deuteronomy did say they were killed, but maybe there's more to the story. You'll just have to keep reading…and if I didn't use the Jellicles in the story, there would be no point in making it a crossover, which is what I think makes it very unique because there are only two Catwoman fics out there. :D

Passionate Admiral: Well, the reason I gave Misto white stripes is because for a few cats, I had to look up descriptions of them to refresh my memory of what they looked like and a description of Misto's costume that I found described him as having thin white stripes on three of his four legs and a white face while the rest of him is black, so that's where the stripes came from. Excellent guess on Ian's motives for bombing the school, but not quite. ;) That is the direction of a fantastically enormous twist that I daren't speak of yet. *grins*

OK! So who's ready for a little change of POV pace? I warn you…this chapter may be a bit of a tear-jerker for you readers who are like me and get really involved in a story. So anywho, if you guessed that the kids would play along with the murder and "disappear", congratulations! 50 fic points to you! I promise I'll figure out some use for these eventually…hahaha.

Chapter 4

Goodbyes

{Darius}

I frowned as I flipped my cell phone shut again. It had been decided between the four of us. It was best to disappear. We couldn't go to school because Ian would more than likely try something even worse than before if he saw us alive. I couldn't help feeling though, that he couldn't really do anything that bad if he and his minions were the only ones who thought us dead. The girls were truly afraid of him though, and with everything that had arisen, I couldn't blame them. We couldn't stay home either, because it would put our families in danger if this got to be too dangerous. It would hurt, but it had to be done. We were each going to write notes to our parents saying we had gotten involved in something bad, and for them to please not look for us, as it would put both us and them in danger. My biggest worry though was that my parents would disregard that and search for me anyway. I wasn't the type to get involved in things at all, much less something bad, so they'd immediately be suspicious, I knew. But maybe…maybe if we stayed in the junkyard with the cats, we wouldn't have to worry quite as much about being found by any search parties.

The whole thing made me uneasy, but I would sooner protect my parents by leaving than stick around and endanger them. With a sigh, I rubbed my face and moved to my desk, pulling out a notebook and pen. Blinking back the tears, I wrote:

_Mom and Dad,_

_Whenever you find this note, please don't call Scotland Yard, and please don't search for me. I'm sorry to say this, but I think I've gotten myself into trouble, and I have to leave to keep you two out of danger. I'm sorry it's so abrupt, but I just can't explain it all here. Just know that while you won't know where I am, I am alive and well. With any luck, this will only last a little while. And I won't be alone; unfortunately, Gina, Lisa, and Zack will be with me. None of us knew the others were involved until just last night. I'm sorry…_

_Love,_

_Darius_

As painful as it was, I had to admit I did enjoy being able to see in the dark now. It made it much easier to write without having to turn on a desk lamp and risk waking someone up. I left the notebook where it was, placing the pen on top of the displayed note. I wiped the tears from my eyes and dug my old gym bag from my closet. I wouldn't need much, thankfully, so it wouldn't be heavy. I packed a few outfits, a photo album (just in case I never came back), some gloves my mom had given me for Christmas, and of course, my wallet. I had saved all of my money I had gotten for Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, and my birthday. I was intending to use it to take Lisa out for a really big and special night for her birthday over the summer, but I guess now it would have to go to a different use. I took a few minutes to count it all out, and came up with three hundred twenty-six pounds. Pretty good amount. With any luck, if I rashioned it carefully, it could last us a while. I would split it evenly with my friends so we would all have the same amount to use. I hefted the bag onto my shoulder and moved to the window, just barely keeping my sobs quiet. This really was a lot more painful than I could have imagined. Almost as an afterthought, I reached out next to me and lifted the pocket knife my dad had given me years ago from the table. No way I could leave that behind, even if I did have claws. I tucked it into my back pocket and lifted the window, carefully pushing the screen from its track and slipped out, resealing the window and screen once my feet hit the ground.

I made it only across the lawn to the street before I stopped and looked back. The downstairs kitchen light was on. I checked my watch. It was 5:45. Mom always got up at 5:30. I winced as I knew she would find the note shortly. With a final whispered, "See ya," and a choked sob, I turned away again and bolted up the street, back toward the junkyard.

{Zack}

It was a good thing I didn't know where Ian Cross lived. If I had, he would have been the one running from his own home, because I would have been chasing him down with tooth and claw-literally. I leaned against the entrance gate of the junkyard, waiting for my friends to arrive. I rested my chin against my chest and closed my eyes, letting my bag fall to the ground at my feet. I reopened my eyes, but just a little and examined my claws. I flexed my fingers, extending and retracting them, studying the fluid movements. What were we supposed to do? Were we supposed to locate the eye of the statue, or were we supposed to get the statue from the museum and make sure nobody found the eye? I just got more and more confused the more I thought about it. I figured I would ask Skimble, or maybe Deutoronomy about it later. I hoped they would let us stay…they seemed like good and decent hospitable cats. Wow, did that statement ever sound strange!

I heard a faint rustling and looked up from my claws, smiling sadly as I saw my friends. Lisa was walking with Darius, and Gina lept forward into my arms. She was sobbing quietly, and I held her tightly, looking sympathetically at Lisa and Darius. I wasn't quite as close to my parents as my friends were, but Gina was very attached to her family. I knew this had to be killing her. I brushed her hair from her face and stroked her back. "It's going to be all right," I purred, trying to comfort her.

"This whole thing just feels so wrong," she whimpered, burying her face into my chest. "They'll all be looking for us, I just know it. And what if those thugs go back to the park to get rid of our bodies? What will they do when they discover that the bodies are gone and there are bloody footprints and pawprints around them?"

"They would just assume that they were already found and collected-" I started, but Lisa cut me off.

"Not if Scotland Yard has issued reports of us missing," she argued, wiping her eyes. "They'll know something else must have happened if we haven't been found, and yet we aren't where we're supposed to be."

"Take it easy, guys," Darius murmured. "Listen, we'll just lay low here for a while. Learn all we can about the situation and what we are, okay? Then we'll figure out what to do about Ian."

"But we don't have that much time," I pointed out. "Graduation's next week. What can we hope to accomplish in eight days?"

"Well, I don't know about you guys," he began, his voice strong and intense, "but I for one think we can get quite a lot accomplished in eight days. We're already very quick learners, and with our new abilities, we can get a lot more done because night is no longer a hindrance. We're not human anymore, guys…we need to think about what we are, what we have become, and what we can and need to do."

We were all silent for a long time, just absorbing what he had said. Finally, Lisa moved her hand from his elbow and extended it outward, palm down, claws extended. "Well, I don't know what we're in for, but I know one thing: I'm in with Darius, no matter what happens. Cats?"

A wide grin spread over Darius's face and he laid his hand atop hers, his claws also extended. "Cats," he agreed.

I looked at Gina, who only took a moment to mirror the two examples, placing her clawed hand over Darius's. "Cats."

They all looked at me, and finally, I decided Darius was right. If there was something endangering the cats who had saved our lives as well as giving us new ones, heck if I was going to stand by and let it happen if there seemed to be something we could do about it. With a flourish, I slapped my hand/paw over Gina's and nodded. "Cats." We all grinned at one another, our spirits lifting as we squeezed each others' hands, glad that at least we didn't have to do anything alone.

{Third Person}

Unbeknownst to the four teens, a cat had overheard their agreement. Beaming with joy and relief, Electra lept from her perch atop a stack of boxes and bounded to Old Deuteronomy's nest. "Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy!" she mewed with excitement as she scratched at his door.

After a moment or two, the Jellicle leader opened the door and smiled down at her. "What is it, little one? Is everything all right?"

The young queen nodded happily. "They're back! The Guardians have returned, and I just overheard them agreeing to help us!"

Old Deuteronomy smiled, carefully climbing down from where his nest stood. "Then let us go and greet them, Electra. We must let them in." The young queen nodded quickly and trotted at the old male's flank, bouncing like a kitten. They reached the gate and Deuteronomy nodded to Electra, who gleefully pushed the gate open. "We bid you a welcomed return, Saviors," he greeted cheerfully.

The four looked down at the old leader and smiled. "Thank you, but I'm afraid we have a bit of an odd request," Gina replied.

"Oh?" Deuteronomy asked, cocking his head to the side. "And what might that be?"

"Well, you see," Lisa began, swallowing back more impending tears. She explained why they felt as though their families might be threatened, and that they would need somewhere to stay where they would be hidden from anyone who might search for them.

When she was finished, Deuteronomy simply smiled and dipped his head. "It would be our honor to host you here. You are as much a cat now as any of us, and you each have lives from members of our tribe, so you may as well be Jellicles yourselves. Please, do come in and I will have my son find nests for you. I'm certain we have room somewhere." He led the four of them inside, and Electra shut the gate again behind them, then followed excitedly. "Munkustrap?" Deuteronomy called once they had reached the center of the yard.

A box flap opened, and the silver tabby hurried out to answer his father's call. "What is it, Father? Why did you call so early?" He stopped when he saw the four saviors and dipped his head respectfully. "Oh, I see."

"Son, I need you to find quarters for our guests. They have nowhere else to go and they mustn't be found."

"Of course, Father." Munkustrap turned and hurried off to look about for a large area.

Lisa leaned against Darius's side, genuinely exhausted. "I think I could just lie down right here and fall asleep."

"We need to make sure we're hidden first," Darius reminded. "If anybody does search for us, it'll be during the day…so that's when we need to be the most inactive."

"Looks like we're going to be nightprowlers now, huh?" Gina asked with a slight smile, and Zack nodded.

"Looks like it." After a few minutes of silence, Munkustrap returned and nodded to Old Deuteronomy.

"We have a couple of areas that are large enough for them to fit, if they find it suitable."

"Long as I can fit, I'll be happy," Lisa said softly.

The others nodded in weary agreement, and Munkustrap smiled. "Follow me." He turned again and led them to their nests. He led them to two vehicles, both covered from view by large tarps and a few boxes. The front passenger doors of the cars were accessible, but also faced a pile of junk so as to keep the insides well hidden.

"Heh," Zack chuckled. "Guess my grampa was right…I did end up living in a car." The group laughed tiredly before climbing into their respective nests. Thankfully, the cars were fairly large and were actually quite comfortable. Lisa stretched out across the back seat of the car while Darius reclined the front passenger seat and shifted onto his stomach to look down at her.

"Are you scared?" he asked softly, reaching down to touch her face.

She closed her eyes, soothed by his touch. "No…not really," she murmured honestly. "Are you?"

Darius thought for a moment, then sighed. "A little, but I'll be okay. Sweet dreams."

"You too," Lisa whispered back, already half asleep. She drifted into a deep sleep, and a minute or two later, Darius followed suit.

A/N: Wooo! Two POV changes in one chapter! Excellent! Now, my dear readers, do tell…what thinkest thou now? Lol ;)


	6. The Dreaming of Cats

A/N: Okay, so I'll be honest here, folks. I don't actually have a clue what I'm doing with this chapter, simply because I'm trying to keep a big twist secret for now and it's not time for it yet. I often have trouble just filling space because I'm so eager to get to the main parts, so sometimes things get a little rushed and I have to force myself to slow down a little. Lol So I'm just going to write this off the top of my head and see what happens, so forgive me if it's slow or not very interesting, but a lot of times my best ideas come from simple "go with the flow" writing, so let's cross our fingers!

Purple One: That's actually a really good idea…not sure why I didn't think of that. XD True, it can be difficult to get comfy in a vehicle, but I actually sleep really well in a car, especially if it's moving. Lol I might use that in future chapters. Thanks for that! :D

Passionate Admiral: There will definitely be more to be seen of Zack's serious side, but whenever the environment is settled enough, he'll always be the humorous type. And because I'm a sucker for humor even in dark situations, there may be a few jokes cracked even as their lives are in danger. His character is very interesting, and more about him will unfold in future chapters. I'm so tickled that you like my writing style so much! I portrayed Electra like that mainly because of the fact that she is a kitten, and to me, all kittens are bouncy and bubbly, so it's a natural thing. Lol As for your theories regarding Ian, I can't give any positive or negative responses involving those because that would give away huge twists that are yet to come. ;) Keep making your theories known, though; I love hearing what readers think is coming. It gets me all excited if they can't guess it. :D I love just about any type of story, but stories that are full of dramatic twists, cliffhangers and suspenseful situations always have me hooked. I'm not so sure about darkness, but I am enormous on horror stuff, so some darkness I really do enjoy and some darkness is actually so dark that I don't understand it, and those just confuse me. Lol! I will definitely check out your story and will review for each chapter. For the fic points, that would work for some readers. Ones like you, Emily and Purple one I could award fic points as a rating for stories, but I have some reviewers who don't have accounts here that I need to figure out a use for their fic points for. Lol You leave awesome reviews, buddy! I hope you keep reading. :D Oh, and one more note regarding my writing style…it's so detailed and dramatic partially because I'm blind and I want my readers to be able to see events playing out the way I do, so I describe everything. It's also partially because I am writing my own saga as well. There will be five books altogether, and I'm currently nearly finished with the fourth one, so I am a very experienced writer.

So here we go…a chapter off the top of my head! I do hope you enjoy! Hahaha…the title of this chapter is actually a pun from the T.S. Eliot poem "The Naming of Cats". I thought it would be catchy considering how this chapter opens. lol

Chapter 5

The Dreaming of Cats

{Third Person}

The four teens all slept very restlessly, though none of them knew it. As they felt it was a necessary movement, Coricopat and Tantomile had watched their minds until they had fallen asleep before casting them into a unified dream. The twins thought it would help for the four humanoids to see the past for themselves, to live and breathe the cat's history in order to further educate them on their current position. The dreams were surreal, confusing, and flashy, causing the teens to sweat and pant in their sleep. The twins kept them sealed in the dream until it was all over, so that they would see and know everything when they awoke. They regretted stressing them so, but they felt it was necessary.

In the dream:

The Temple of Bast stood tall and proud, the great doors opening wide to welcome her servants. They ran inside, pursued mercilessly by Persian soldiers. They hurried to seal the huge doors behind them while two others fumbled to gather their ceremonial robes. As soon as the doors were properly barrocated, they bustled to join their sisters, donning the silken robes and gathering in a circle. The high priestess brought forth a large jewel-encrusted gord and each woman raised her own goblet as the high priestess poured them each a serving of a thick black liquid. It was said to be the blood of Bast, and a liquid that while fatal would also present them with great and mystical powers. The high priestess turned to the towering statue of Bast and raised her goblet, the others following suit, and all in unison, they drank the liquid, downing every last drop.

At once, they all gasped heavily and fell to the floor, their hearts leaping eratically before halting altogether. A moment later, however, an ancient mao began to wail, calling forth her thousands of companions. The cats came as summoned and gathered around the six priestesses, settling on their chests one at a time to breathe life into them, each cat giving one of its nine lives to the six women. It took only minutes, and just as the creation concluded, the doors to the temple burst open with a deafening CRASH! The cats cleared out, leaping and bounding back to their hiding places within the temple's walls and rafters. The Persian intruders poured in by the dozen, led by a mighty-looking general. They looked in great puzzlement upon the empty silken garments spread haphazardly before the great statue's paws. After a moment's consideration, the leader slashed the robes to shreds with his sword and stormed forward, his cohorts beginning to swipe anything and everything of value.

From above, the six reborn priestesses watched with growing hatred. With almighty hisses, they dropped from the rafters onto the men. The soldiers stopped, momentarily stunned at the sight of their beautiful attackers. The once mortal priestesses were now nude, catlike humanoids, their eyes flitting with golden-rimmed anger. The men tried to fight, some attempting to retreat for the exit, but they were no match for the powerful creatures. They fought with a primal, feral nature that was just too much for any normal human. In a matter of minutes, it was all over and the Persians still outside the temple were fleeing for their lives, leaving the village and the place of worship to burn. The women rushed to the river and fetched bucket after bucket of water in order to douse the flames. At last, they were successful. After days upon weeks of working, they at last managed to restore the temple to its former glory, the treasures replaced where they belonged, and Bast was pleased.

The dream began to flash eratically as time lapsed by, decades whizzing past in mere seconds, creating a sort of subconscious vertigo for the four dreamers. When the spinning world finally stopped, it looked as though time had actually rewound. The temple was burning again and horrible shrieks and wails of fear and agony rose from within the walls. Behind the temple, one solitary feminine figure was visible in silhouette. She was one of the priestesses, one of the Guardians of the Temple, watching as her sisters burned with their treasures. However, there was an abrupt explosion of light from the back side of the temple which flickered blindingly before fully enveloping the solitary guardian. She disappeared from view with a shriek of her own, and as the light retreated back into the temple, the dream eyes followed, rocketing into the roaring flames like a fearless knight. Through the flames, through the smoke, two enormous emerald cat eyes blazed with anger and betrayal as the light spun and jolted like lightning, finally shrinking with a deafening hiss into a single bronze statue. The statue was of a cat, two cat's eye diamonds making up the eyes and a golden chain and sapphire scarab making up a crest upon its head. With a mighty final blaze of the flames, the temple exploded and the statue was blown into the sky, the crest and right eye diamond wrenching from the statue and whipping into the eternal night sky, the statue as well blasting in the opposite direction. The screeching ceased.

With an ungodly final rumble, the temple caved in on itself, the majestic statue of Bast crumbling away under the debris, the whole structure shattering into rubble. And so it was, the days of Bast had come to an end…so it seemed.

The dream eyes crept forward, crawling over the rubble at a low angle, obviously the point of view of an ancient cat. A slab of stone shifted and slid out of place with a rough grinding sound and a bloody, clawed hand emerged from the dust. The claws dug into the stone as the unseen guardian struggled, muffled grunts and whimpers sounding from beneath the chunks of rock and wood. Finally, she managed to haul herself out of the pile, panting and coughing on her own blood. A moment later, more rubble began to shift. The first escapee turned her gaze to the rubble and began to tug rocks aside, determined to help free her struggling sisters, her face streaked with tears and blood. She helped her fellow survivor out of the debris and together they examined their surroundings, beginning to sift through the dust together. Eventually, they found the other three, but sadly they had been crushed, their bodies no longer capable of supporting the lives they had been given. They were the only two remaining…but where was the traitor? They looked at one another, holding each other's gaze for a seemingly eternal moment before they nodded in unison, slowly retracting their claws. The faint flecks of gold in their eyes faded into oblivion and their feline movements reverted back to mortal movements. Slowly, they took each other's hands and helped the other out of the mess and onto the sand.

They turned together and looked down, seeming to notice the dream eyes that had been watching. A low, soft purring echoed loudly through the land as one of the sisters bent to lift the cat. As she did, the dream eyes separated, allowing the teens to see that the eyes had belonged to Old Deuteronomy, who now purred sympathetically in the arms of the priestesses.

Gina woke with a start, as did the other three, though they couldn't possibly have known. She sat up so quickly she hit her head on the roof of the car and yelped. "Ouch!" she squeaked, groaning in pain, frustration and sadness as she rubbed her head.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked sleepily, twisting around to peer at her in the early evening light that spilled into the car through the passenger window.

She nodded, frowning. "Yeah…I think it's time for us to get up. We need to…" she trailed off, recalling the dream. Zack remembered too, and the sound of the other car door opening finally snapped them out of the momentary trance, and they too crawled out of the car.

"I had the most horrible dream," Lisa murmured, rubbing her face.

"Me too," Gina agreed, leaning against the car.

"About the temple and a bunch of women?" Darius asked, and the other three all nodded.

"How could we have all had the exact same dream?" Zack wondered, confused and a little concerned.

"Forgive us, Guardians, but it was us," a whispery voice interrupted. The four turned around to see the twins sitting atop Zack and Gina's car. It was Tantomile who had spoken, and she smiled apologetically. "We felt it was pertanent information for you to see for yourself rather than merely be told. Old Deuteronomy approved it."

Lisa blinked slowly. "Wait…you made us dream that? How?"

Coricopat replied in a quiet voice. "We are mystics. We simply linked to your minds and showed all of the memories to you as you slept, and voila, it came to you in the form of a dream. We apologize for frightening you, but now you understand, do you not?"

"Not really," Zack confessed. "What are we supposed to do? We don't even know what the threat is, let alone how to protect you from it."

The twins gazed at one another, pondering, before Tantomile turned to face them again. "We must have the statue here. We must possess it before they do."

"They who?" Gina asked. "Did those two surviving ladies turn corrupt as well?"

"No," Coricopat explained, "they were not and are not the enemy."

"Then who is?" Darius asked. "We know Ian, but who is your enemy?"

Coricopat sighed softly, his ears flattening. "We do not know."

A/N: Wooooooooo! So I think this chapter actually turned out really well…what do you guys think? And if you guys have any ideas for space fillers or stuff to happen, please let me know! Because as stated, I'm not always very good at merely filling space when I'm excited about the main events. Lol I'm open to suggestions!

OK, just so you guys know, tomorrow is my first day of class. Even though I'll only have class on Fridays, depending on how much work I have to do in between, updates will probably slow down a bit, but I'll do my best to try and keep them at least somewhat consistent. But it's definitely gonna keep continuing. Don't you worry about that. As stated before, I'm taking Fundamentals of Acting, and I just found out yesterday that not only is my classroom the auditorium, but apparently there's gonna be a lot of stagework and improve. Soooo…me being blind, I'm hoping I won't have to move around too terribly much! Hahaha…don't wanna just walk forward and step right off the stage in the middle of a sentence. XD I'll keep you guys updated on how that class works out too, cuz there are bound to be plenty of funny stories to share. ;P Wish me luck!

Lots of hugs! Review in the next five minutes and receive 100 fic points! :D


	7. The Mystery Chapter

A/N: Wow! That last chapter seemed pretty well-received! Lol

Passionate Admiral: I just love your reviews! I'll definitely look into your saga. It's funny to me how your theories keep changing. I love hearing about them, and actually, your latest one isn't that crazy. You have a piece of it right, and another partially correct, so don't feel bad! Just keep reading and theorizing. It'll all come together. And yes, the dream was indeed a sequence of memories from Deuteronomy's mind. You have actually given me an idea for a new twist to throw in with one of your theories, so I just might use part of it. ;P Awww, you added me and my story to your faves! I feel so special! *sends big hugs*

Purple One: Hee hee, I just love toying with you. XD I never knew you had that fascination, actually, so then it's doubly awesome that you're so hooked! Lol

Well, my first day of class was awesome! I think this class is going to be loads of fun. We spend most all of our time on the stage playing little games, then with a ten minute break halfway through because it's such a long class. Everyone in my class that I talked to is really nice and a lot of fun, and my prof is really laid back and has a good sense of humor, so we don't get into trouble for being ourselves and making funny comments here and there. It's great! And she tells us to be ourselves, to be big and bold and open and don't be afraid to try. In her exact words, she said-and I just love this quote-"Dare to fail gloriously." Isn't that awesome? Had kind of a rough beginning though cuz my stepdad dropped me off at the wrong door and I didn't know it was wrong until I got inside because the sidewalk looked the same. -.-' Fortunately for me though, a girl came down the stairs (the door I went in led straight into a stairwell) just as I was about to call my stepdad and tell him to come back, and she was really sweet and awesome enough to help me to my class. Oh! My classroom is the auditorium! XD I just think that's funny.

Oh, and get this! For part of the class this semester, I have to go see a play! That's right, I /have/ to go see a play. *pretends to moap and grumble* XD We have to write a stage critique for the play we see, and I'm just 31 flavors of excited because I haven't been to see a play since I went with my mom to see The Crucible my senior year in 2009! Needless to say, I'm gonna have fun with this. ;)

OK, moving on…

So I think that perhaps it's time to see a little of the villains, don't you? We've spent the prologue and the first five chapters getting to know the heroes, so now I think we should spy a little on the villains. Keep in mind, however, that this entire story is one big puzzle, so even now there won't be many answers at all. Perhaps more questions than anything and a couple of foreshadowings, but I guarantee you it will all make sense in the end. ^^

Sorry this one took so long, but first I had a little bit of a writer's block because I just couldn't think of how to go about this chapter and from what angle to take it, and then my grandfather passed away just a few days ago, so I haven't been in the mood to write…it's been very difficult. But God bless people like Emily Atkinson! I read the latest chapter of her story and koo koo kachoo, I've suddenly got everything I need to do this chapter! So this one's just for you, Emily! You rock out loud, my friend! *mega hugs*

Chapter 6

The Mystery Chapter

{Mastermind-Still at large! XD}

I prowled through my lair, smirking to myself as I made my way toward the front lobby where my apprentice was awaiting me. I had just received word from one of my servants that he had returned with new information, and I was confident it would be something good for my purpose. Naturally, I had no clue that that particular assumption was a miscalculation. I stepped into the main area and looked around, spotting him leaning against the far wall.

"Growltiger," I greeted coolly, unable to vanquish my smirk. "What news have you for me?"

Growltiger looked at me and frowned, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. "We have a serious problem."

I frowned, my eyes narrowing. "What do you mean 'problem'?" I asked slowly, giving him a warning look.

He hesitated. "We killed the witnesses who overheard us, but I didn't realize that those idiots of mine left the bodies in the park gardens."

My frown deepened and I growled. "And?"

"I found out this morning on my way to school, so we ditched to go get them and get rid of them before anybody could find them. But…" He hesitated again, and I was getting impatient.

"But?" I prompted, now growling openly as I stalked toward him.

"…But they weren't there."

"What?" I snarled, baring my teeth and claws angrily.

He winced, but continued in a rush. "I know they weren't found by Scotland Yard because there was no police tape or chalk lines on the ground, nor was there even a cop car in sight. But I tell you, the bodies are gone. I know for a fact that they were dead because while my group is evidently stupid enough to leave such obvious evidence behind, they are not stupid enough to leave without making sure the heart has stopped. They were thoroughly dead because there was blood everywhere the bodies were…but there were footprints, like they just got up and walked away."

I was still growling, but now my anger was redirected somewhat. "Footprints?"

He nodded. "Yes…and pawprints."

I bristled at the mention of pawprints. "What kind of pawprints?"

"Feline pawprints, I think. They sure looked like them."

I narrowed my eyes to slits and glared at him. "And you mean to tell me that you have no idea what happened?"

He shook his head. "None whatsoever…should I?"

I snapped. Snarling, I lashed out and slashed the side of his face with my claws. He cried out and fell to the side, more out of surprise than from the force behind my blow. "You moron! Have you already forgotten your own renaissance? Have you already forgotten the conditions under which favored mortals may become children of Bast? You fool! The prophesy states the interference, and I train you to prevent that exact thing, and instead you cause it to come to pass! Could you ever be any more unreliable? Do you know just how much this complicates everything we have worked for? No, don't even answer; I can see the blankness in your eyes and it only infuriates me further. Come, and let me show you just how incompetent you have been."

I turned my back on him and stormed back down the hallway. After a moment's silence, I heard him following me closely, hissing quietly in discomfort at the wound I had inflicted. How could he be so stupid? How could he have such stupid goons for companions? But then, his companions were human…go figure. What else were humans good for but failing in even their simplest endeavors? They were useless-better off dead. As much as they frustrated me, I needed their absolute ignorance and naivety. Because of their lack of insight, my goals would be accomplished. I had to admit, however, that Growltiger did have quite a talent for secrecy and subtlety. He was the perfect apprentice for me because he visited the location of the target of my desires on a daily basis, and thus he could protect it from anyone or anything that might get in the way of my plans. I needed that piece first and foremost, and then I would visit the museum. More than that, he was only a teenager. Sure he was a thug, but nobody would expect him to be as deeply involved with a character such as myself as he actually was. He was indeed a great apprentice, and I needed his loyalty and service.

I led him into my chamber and crossed to a small table next to my bed. I tugged open the drawer and lifted out a thick tome. Setting it on the table, I opened it reverently and flicked through the pages. "The prophesy gives the very answer to everything I could possess if this is done properly, but it also tells what will come of things if we fail. One descendent of Bast herself and three of her servants stand in our way. In order for us to succeed, we need to get rid of them. Until now, they did not exist. However, the foolishness of you and your companions has brought them into existence. Those hapless witnesses that you killed have been transformed, Growltiger. They are now just as you and I are-cats. They are just as capable of anything as we are now, and they are the answer to the prophesy. You have to get rid of them for good. You must find them, and kill them. Do you understand?"

I looked back up at him with a piercing gaze. After a moment of reading the text on the pages before him, he nodded. "I understand. I will find them myself if I have to. I know they will not come to the school; if they were going to, they would have yesterday. The blood was dried already, and it carried no real scent anymore. Otherwise I could have told you who the pawprints belonged to."

"Don't dwell on that," I muttered in a low growl. "I have a feeling I know who, if not exactly who, is responsible for their rebirth. I will take care of them for myself. For now, keep your eyes peeled for those teens! Would you know them if you saw them?"

He nodded quickly. "Yes; I saw them countless times at school. I know exactly who they are. Their names are Gina, Lisa, Darius and Zack. I'll hunt them down and kill them on sight."

"Don't get yourself caught," I growled. "You're of no use to me if you are sealed away in prison. Get them alone, one at a time, and take them out, got it?" He nodded, and my smirk returned. "Good. Now go and do it right!"

{Gina}

I slipped discreetly between a group of observers as I carefully inched my way through the museum. We had been told by Old Deuteronomy that the statue we had been shown in our dreams was located, ironically, in the local museum. We wondered what sort of significance it had, but he had refused to elaborate, but told me I was more than free to visit the museum for myself to find out what I could. It struck me as odd, but I hadn't pushed him for answers, deciding a visit to the museum was probably a good idea. My friends had decided to stay back and work with their new abilities a bit more, and plus we agreed that it was best for us to only go out one at a time for now in order to keep our secret safe. I was semi-disguised. I wore a pair of my own clothes, but I had my hair all pulled up inside a hat, which was something I never did. I received one or two angry glares, as it was impolite to wear hats in such a place, but it wasn't illegal or anything, so nobody said anything. Moreover, I kept my gaze low, trying my best to merely look timid rather than suspicious, though my heart was racing like a fleeing mouse.

I branched off the hallway and stepped into the room clearly marked for ancient mythology. Once inside, it was easy enough to find the section dedicated to ancient Egypt. It was quite a collection, and I found myself actually enjoying the exhibits. Certainly it was no leisurely field trip like in the third grade, but it was still intriguing nonetheless. I browsed several artifacts, skimming the small informational plaques next to each display. Finally, I found the main attraction of my visit: the statue of Bast.

I studied it intently, immensely curious, and felt a powerful draw towards it. I felt like it was calling me, just pleading with me to get it out of the glass box. It was bronze, very well preserved for being so ancient. It sparkled and shined, and I could clearly see my reflection in its chest, slightly distorted by the curves of the shape, but clear all the same. It had one eye, the right one missing just as the dream had depicted. The one eye it did have was beautiful. It was a diamond, but it had an orb of bright green like an emerald in its center, along with one vertical onyx slit like a pupil. It was a cat's eye diamond. I was astonished. Those were extremely rare, and only one was considered to be worth at least five million pounds. The statue was of Bast in cat form, an absolutely beautiful and majestic creature. She was sitting, her expression passive and calm, yet her gaze seemed to be piercing and all-knowing. Her tail curled contently around her paws from the right side, her claws were just slightly extended as if ready to fight at any instant.

It was breathtaking, and yet…it was scary. I felt my stomach twisting in uncomfortable knots and my throat tightened painfully. I was faintly aware that I was absently flexing and relaxing my own claws, and I stuffed my hands into my pockets in order to keep them hidden. I stared into Bast's one eye, getting lost for a moment and could almost see a flow of mixed emotions flying through the eye even though it wasn't even a real eye. I saw hunger, resolve, anger, betrayal, pain, and finally, beseechment. I felt as though it were begging me to get it out of this museum. It took all of my mental strength to tear my gaze away from it and step over to the display's plaque. As I read, I grew even more unsettled and uncertain. Supposedly, when the Temple of Bast was burnt down by the Persians, Bast placed a curse upon the one remaining element from her temple: the statue. The whereabouts of the missing eye were unknown, as it had been missing since its discovery in the sands of Egypt. It had been displayed and exported by approximately twenty-seven previous museums, the London location being the twenty-eighth. Apparently every other museum had eventually been set ablaze by an unknown source, just as the Temple had been set ablaze by the Persians…

Someone sneezed across the room from me, and I jumped, snapping back to reality and spun around on reflex, my claws nearly ripping through my pockets. It was just another museum customer, gazing at another ancient Egyptian artifact. Harmless.

I was getting paranoid, and I knew it. I swore I could still feel the statue glaring at me, reaching out to me, tracing its claws down my spine. I bit my tongue against a hiss and made my way for the exit, having gathered all I could from the information given. As I departed from the museum, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. I was so glad my father no longer worked there. I turned and started to head down the street, but something made me stop at the corner instead of progressing on across the street. The sensation of claws raking down my back hadn't ceased. I felt no pull to return to the museum, but something was definitely amiss. Slowly, subtly, I reached over my shoulder to scratch my back, using that as an excuse to turn my head the opposite way and peer over my shoulder. Faces were everywhere around and behind me, an endless sea of moving people. I pretended that I couldn't reach the itch and reached back with my other arm, now peering over my other shoulder. Then I saw him…

My heart stopped and I gasped, my entire being filling with a sense of dread and terror. Just across the street, looking right at me was Ian Cross.

A/N: Heh…you guys like cliffhangers? XD Couldn't resist.

Plus, I needed to end the chapter here because frankly, I'm really ticked off right now. We went to a relative's house on Saturday to visit, and my cousin gave me a slice of her most awesome peanut butter pie to bring home with me. Now, I just knew that I would never get to eat it because my stepfather is a friggin sugar pig. If he finds something sweet and it hasn't been specified that it belongs to someone else, he just eats it without any consideration for anybody else in the house. I even hid it in the very bottom drawer of our fridge thinking for certain that he wouldn't get anything out of there, so he wouldn't find it! Well, I was looking for it to eat it this afternoon and lo and behold, it's gone! I talked to my mom and, of course, she didn't eat it because she knew it was MINE. She said she found the container (it was in a Cool Whip container in order to disguise its contents) in the sink and she assumed that I had eaten it…nope. Stepfather ate it…how predictable. I never get to eat anything dessert-ish in this house, and if I do, I never get a second serving of it because by the time I go back for it, he's already eaten it all…_

On top of that, my mom took my little sister to Chuck E. Cheese tonight along with my aunt and cousins because she's been dying to go since Thursday (today is Tuesday for me). I didn't go because, well, being blind, I had a feeling that I would get bored pretty quickly because I can't play any of the games anymore except for skiball. I'm actually very good at skiball, but I just didn't really want to spend four or five hours just playing one game, so I stayed home, but asked if she would bring me back some pizza. She said okay…well, I just heard from her and guess what? They only got one large cheese pizza, there were only two slices left, and she gave those to my cousin because he hadn't even eaten, so she's not bringing me any pizza! *angry grumble* The last time I had Chuck E. Cheese pizza was five years ago…FIVE YEARS AGO! And they all go and don't even have the compassion to bring me any even after she said she would…

Now maybe I'm just being ridiculous, but can you honestly say you blame me for being mad? I just think it's ridiculous and quite disrespectful to me. She's still going to stop and get me something, but I'm still upset because I got my heart set on amazing pizza that I haven't had in years and now I don't even get pizza period. *sighs* Sorry…I just seriously needed to vent for a minute because I haven't got anybody to talk to at the moment. I do hope I didn't just spoil whatever good mood my chapter may have just given you.

So, dramatic rage aside…how did this chapter tickle your fancy? Who do you think the mastermind is? Do you think he is a catperson or a cat? It could go either way. ;) And, who do you think Growltiger is? ;P Obviously I did a little twisting with that and made Growltiger a catperson rather than a cat, and such a case will appear again in the story. Also, what do you make of the statue's odd aura and curse, and what do you think will happen to Gina? Will the teens lose one of their own, or will she get away? Or worse…will Growltiger find their hideout?

R&R! Cuz now that I've vented I'm a little bit happier and eager to move forward with the next chapter! :D


	8. Fears and Flames

A/N: Wow! Lots of reviews to reply to this time! And even a new one joined in! Excellent!

Purple One: Wow, I think that's the longest review you've ever given me! Lol I feel so special. Well, you're right about one thing: Gina can't die…not yet, anyway. I'm not saying she will, but you are right that she will not die here. It's true that you know my writing style, yes, since you've read nearly all of my Dark Moon Saga. However, consider the fact that this is the first mystery of mine that you have read. I did do that short story senior year, but you've never read that one and it was nothing like this. Anyway, my point is, don't assume that anything is impossible for this story. ;) You may be right, you may be wrong, or you may be neither. Again, nobody stop guessing because I love hearing the theories! But don't think anything is impossible. Lol *grins* And ha ha! I made you want pie! I still want pie, but my mom's got the recipe, and she mentioned making one, so yeah. But now I'm also dying for some pizza because I was all ready for it the other night and then got none. -.- By the way, you guys all need to check out this awesome gal's story, "Malleus Daemonium". If you're a fan of Harry Potter or Black Butler, this story will absolutely knock you silly! Now, I must be honest, I myself am not a very big fan at all of HP anymore, because I simply lost interest after the second movie, and I don't know anything about Black Butler other than what the main plot is thanks to Purple, so I was a bit uncertain at first, but her writing style is very similar to mine-actually, almost identical-and she is very descriptive and well-written, so I decided to check it out. Plus we're like best friends in reality and we RP together almost on a daily basis and have been doing so for nigh on five years. And, of course, she was kind enough to advertise this story to her readers and I promised her I would read that story of hers and state my opinion here and recommend it if I liked it and, imagine my surprise, I love it! I seriously advise you to check it out even if you aren't HP or BB fans because I love it and, well…y'know. XD

Lealeigh Rush: Yes! I have a new reader! ^^ I'm glad you like it so much, and I do hope you'll keep reading and reviewing. :D Was this a soon enough update for you? ;) I typically update pretty quickly unless I have a writer's block or things distract me. On average, I update around twice a week, sometimes only once a week, just depending.

Micale: Glad you liked that chapter! As for the pizza issue, it's all good now because I got pizza last night after class! Woo! Wasn't from Chuck E. Cheese though, it was from Little Caesar's, but hey, that's still friggin delicious pizza! Lol So I'm happy now. :D And I agree with you about toppings, but I really like cheese pizza too. My overall favorite though is pepperoni. I'm actually kind of sparse with my pizza toppings. I like pepperoni, hamburger, and sausage, but that's actually about it. I don't like veggie or supreme pizzas. Those flavors just don't mix well for me.

Passionate Admiral: Chances are, my friend, that if I need assistance with any other plot twists, I will ask Eris simply because she's the only one who knows the entire plot. If I were to discuss anything with any of my other readers, it would give away vital pieces of the plot that would spoil the surprises, but I truly appreciate your offer! Again, being blind like I am, I'm a huge stresser about detail in writing. I'm actually extremely OCD about my writing, and it just has to be perfect or it annoys me. Lol! So when I picture something in my head (which is very clear because I used to have sight), I have to write it so well that the reader can see it in their mind's eye just as clearly and detailed as I see it in order to grasp the full impact of it. All of my writing is that way; you can expect everything to be detailed like that was. *bursts into laughter* Oh, I just loved your reaction in your review to Ian's appearance! That had me cracking up. And you're right…it isn't pretty. ;) As for Growltiger's master…who says it's a he? *wiggles eyebrows* Because it's written in first person, there is no gender distinction. True it's kind of an automatic assumption, but it may not be male. The mastermind may actually be female. Who knows? ;D I still love your reviews! I got all sorts of excited when I got your review. Lol Funny thing is, I was emailing back and forth with Eris when it popped into my inbox. Hahaha! I got all bouncy and she was like, "What?" lol I love your lengthy reviews. It gives me more to read and you actually always address specific segments of each chapter. I love that, so I hope you keep it up!

Mkay, so here we go with another chapter that I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing with yet…but the last one turned out pretty good, so I feel a bit more confident in myself now. I would apologize for the enormous cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter I left you all with due to my bad mood, but quite frankly, that was a beautiful piece of work and I just can't bring myself to say I'm sorry. XD I was intending to take it a little further, maybe a little into a pursuit between Gina and Ian, but when my bounciness fell, I just couldn't, but at least it turned out good. ;D

And today is my good friend Katie's birthday, so this chapter is dedicated to her! Happy birthday Katie! :D

Chapter 7

Fears and Flames

{Zack}

I paced back and forth briskly across the junkyard, fully aware that I was moving faster than any normal human, but not caring. The sun had gone down, so nobody was about to see me but the cats anyway. I was getting extremely anxious; Gina still wasn't back. She had gone to visit the museum at two o'clock, and it was now eight fifteen. Considering how careful and stealthy she had to be, we had estimated that she would be back by five or five thirty since she was walking to the museum instead of taking the bus. I hadn't heard a word from her, not that I would anyway because we had left our phones behind so as not to be tracked by anyone, but it was still an unusual thing to have to get used to, and it still worried me. She was just going to find the statue, find out what she could, and come straight back. Gina wasn't one to get distracted by anything, and if she did, it was never more than a half hour before she returned to the task at hand. Something just had to be wrong; if it wasn't, she would have been back by now for certain.

Darius and Lisa were moving through the junk, moving and rearranging boxes and chunks of things. One of the cats-Bustopher, I think his name was-had come up with the brilliant idea to allow us a section of the junk that was as of yet uninhabited and move and adjust it so that it made a sort of very large "nest" for us since we were so much larger and so we wouldn't have to sleep in the cars. Old Deuteronomy had given immediate approval, and we had set to work. When I realized that Gina wasn't back at six, however, I began to watch the gates for her. When my watch read seven, I started worrying. Now my watch read eight thirty and I was near panic. Where could she be?

I prayed to God and Bast both that she was all right, as I wasn't entirely sure which would hear me the loudest now. I prayed in every way I could think of; I even prayed to Hades not to have set his sights on her, if that tells you how desperate I was becoming. I sighed, running my claws through my hair. This really wasn't good for me; nobody knew this about me, but I suffered from anxiety. It wasn't very potent or extreme, but if I was unsettled or stressed for too long at once, it would begin to manifest itself through panic attacks, asthma fits, or even seizures. I had only ever had one seizure, but it was very mild and I was alone, so nobody knew about it and there was no evidence that it had happened other than a lingering nausea that I told my parents was a stomach bug. I don't actually know why I kept this a secret from even the ones closest to me, but for some reason, I just didn't want anybody to know. Perhaps I had this crazy fear of anybody knowing that I had a fatal weakness. Everyone does, I know, but I just didn't want anybody to know about mine. Now, in the light of recent events, I was beginning to worry for myself as well as wonder just how long it would be before my secret was exposed.

Skimbleshanks approached me slowly, seeming just as uncertain as I was. After talking with our cats most of the morning, we had discovered that since they had revived us, given us new life, we were bonded to them. They could feel our emotions, hear our thoughts (if we wanted them to; we had to call out to them for that), see through our eyes (which explained what Demeter meant when she told Gina that she was Lisa's eyes now) or vise versa, and they could even feel our physical pain if we were linked when we got hurt. So if I was speaking telepathically to Skimble and I smacked my head on something, he would get a headache too. It had its disadvantages, but it also had its advantages. The worst part about it was, if our cats died, so did we. Because we were given part of their life, part of their soul, if they were to die or be killed, their split souls would reunite, thus removing the pieces from us, and we would fall as well. If we were killed, however, our new souls as well as their old ones simply retreated back into the cat. So if I were to die, the remneants of Skimble's soul would attach more deeply to mine and return to his body, taking my soul with it. Then, if Skimble was around when another man was killed or passed on, he could give new life to me again and I would be reborn a second time, into a new body. I'm not sure what would happen to my soul while inside Skimble's body, but nobody was. It was unheard of…but then, male cat people were very nearly unheard of. Far as we knew, Darius and I were the first men to be blessed with the gift in over three centuries. I found that hard to believe, but most legends I had seen were actually about catwomen.

Quarter to nine.

"Zack, do you really think she must have been hurt, lad?" Skimble asked, tugging me out of my revery.

I continued pacing, Skimble right beside me, and shook my head, rubbing my face. "She must be…there must be something wrong. She would never, ever be this late if all was well."

He nodded, his ears flattening in thought, his tail flicking nervously. "And you are certain that nothing else may have caught her fancy? Perhaps she ventured to the library to do some extra research."

"Except that the library is in the opposite direction. She would have to pass back by here anyway to get to it, and she would have stopped by to let us know. She never goes out on extra errands without letting someone know that she will be late."

"Very well," Skimble caved, thinking. "Why don't we go speak to Bombalurina? She can tell us straight away if Gina is all right."

I nodded, and felt stupid. I hadn't thought of that at all, and it was so obvious. Together we made our way to Bomba's nest and I lightly tapped the top of her box with a claw. "Bomba? Are you home?"

"Indeed sir!" she called from within, appearing through the flap after only a moment. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you know if Gina is all right? Where she is?" I asked, kneeling to her level to peer at her face more easily. "She still isn't back, and this is very, very unlike her. Have you felt or seen anything?"

She frowned. "No, I haven't, but I'll try if it pleases you."

I nodded. "Please, and thank you."

She nodded and sat down, closing her eyes as if to meditate. The tip of her tail twitched lazily and her breathing settled into a smooth purr that resembled the quiet hums that I sometimes heard people utter while meditating. I waited semi-patiently, my heart racing nervously. Skimble waited next to me, his eyes riveted on Bomba's face as it began to form into a grimace. Her fur stood on end and her eyes snapped open, her pupils diolated to twice their normal size. "Oh Bast! Hurry, to the gates!"

{Gina}

I froze, not daring to move, looking Ian straight in the eyes from where I stood, the traffic roaring by between us. I knew he had seen me, obviously, and I could tell by the way his eyes narrowed that he recognized me. My mind raced with different ideas, trying to determine what would be the best course of action. I knew running was out; that technique hadn't worked the first time. But he wouldn't do anything to me with all these people around…would he? Frankly, I didn't put it entirely past him. Ever so slowly, I turned back around and rounded the corner casually, deciding not to cross the street just yet. I couldn't go back to the yard with him following me. I had to lose him first, and the only way to do that was to wander off course and try to look casual until I could find a good place to lose him.

The prickling on my spine increased in its intensity as I moved at a brisk, but not harried pace. The traffic had stopped in the lane behind me, so I knew he was crossing the street to my side. He would be gaining on me very soon. What to do, what to do, what to do? I had to stay rational…I had to keep thinking and not let myself slip into panic mode. That would only get me killed…again. Not that that would entirely matter since my soul would just be drawn into Bomba, but my friends needed me, and who knew how long it would take for Bomba to find me a new body to inhabit? I couldn't take that risk. I couldn't let him catch me. But even as I stopped to wait at the next corner, I began to feel incredibly helpless. If he would kill me shamelessly, even out here next to a busy street, then what hope did I even have? I chanced a peek over my shoulder, and felt my heart leap into my throat and temporarily disable my breathing. He had indeed crossed the street, and he was a mere twenty feet behind me.

I contemplated talking to him casually, playing dumb, as Darius sometimes called it. I could pretend that it wasn't me that night in the gardens, but someone else he had seen, because obviously I wasn't dead. Would that work? I guessed a better question was, was I a good enough actress to pull it off? At the moment, I felt like I was probably much too trembly to talk smoothly or casually about anything, let alone the topic of my own murder. Then it occurred to me: I could run faster than any human now. Running was actually a very good option; I could outrun and lose him in a matter of minutes, and as long as I chose the right paths, there would be no crowds to see the odd spectacle. The light changed, and I proceeded forward across the street, grateful to be moving again. I had to hurry, had to get to an at least remotely secluded location so that I could run. I could still feel Ian following me as I hurried across the street, casting friendly smiles to the cars' drivers as I passed, trying to play like I was late for an appointment. I looked at my watch and widened my eyes, playing up the urgency of the moment and broke into a steady jog, keeping my eyes straight ahead. Mercifully, once I got to the next block over, I found a back street and immediately took it, jogging until I rounded another corner, and then I bolted.

I ran as fast as I could, buildings and garbage cans blurring past me on either side. I heard rapid footfalls behind me and for a moment I was smug, just knowing that Ian had to be simply enraged at the fact that he was losing me…but then my smirk faded just as quickly as it had arrived. The footsteps were catching up to me. How was that possible? I jerked my head around to look over my shoulder, and wished I hadn't. Ian was mere feet behind me, his eyes flashing gold every few seconds. He snarled at me, raising his hand and reaching out to grab my shirt, claws extending out from his fingertips.

"No!" I let out a cry of sheer disbelief at the horrible truth and stumbled over a slightly crooked manhole cover, toppling to the asphalt with a pained grunt. On one hand, it kept him from snagging my shirt, but on the other, he was now on top of me, pinning me to the street with his claws digging into my neck. They didn't draw blood, but I knew they were about to. So much for playing dumb…he knew the truth all along. It would never have worked even if I had tried it. I whimpered in fear for a moment, but then something inside me snapped. Something ancient, something powerful, something primal inside of me, said enough was enough.

With a herculean effort, I bared my teeth and snarled, flinging myself to the side and knocking him off. Claws now extended, I kept rolling, flipping up onto my knees and slashed at him, landing a solid blow across his arm. He hissed in pain and lashed out at me, but I was already up and leaping over him. I raised one foot, placing it atop one of the dumpsters and used the leverage to launch myself up toward the side of a building. I reached a window and sank my claws into the wooden frame, growling as I tugged myself up the building to the roof. Ian was right behind me, but now I was feral. I had practiced with my power, and more than anything else, now I was just angry. I knew what I could do, and I was fully confident in my movements. I had to be…I had to trust the cat within me. She could only help if I trusted her. I looked across the way to the next building, the edge of its roof approximately fifteen feet from where I stood. Ian was just below my feet on the wall. Without a moment's hesitation, I charged to the edge of the building and lept into the air, reaching out with my claws just in case I fell short. I didn't. I landed gracefully four feet beyond the edge and, despite the level of surprise I felt, kept running. Ian was confident too, however, so it wasn't long before he was gaining on me again. This wouldn't go on for long. Eventually he would catch me again, probably very soon.

Sure enough, at the next leap across alleyways, he caught me in midair, somehow managing to restrain both of my arms before we landed. When we did, he shoved me violently to the ground and sat on me, pinning my arms to my sides. I growled at him, flexing my claws, though I couldn't reach any part of him to defend myself. I was trapped. He grasped under my chin with one hand and twisted my head to the side, forcefully exposing my neck. He raised his other hand, claws glinting in the sunlight, and prepared to slice my jugular. At the last moment, however, just before he went to swipe, a deafening siren filled the air. Puzzled, he whipped his head around to look off to the side, his grip on my chin loosening considerably as he was distracted. Just as puzzled, I cautiously lifted my chin from his hand and followed his gaze to the street.

First I saw the flashing red lights, and then I saw the vehicle below them as it passed through an intersection. A firetruck. My gut wrenched painfully at the implications. Slowly, I followed its general direction until I saw black smoke rising into the sky just a short distance away. The museum…the statue! It hit me all at once, and my feral ferociousness returned. I had to get that statue; I didn't know why, but something told me it simply must not be destroyed or even damaged extensively. With another angry snarl, I raised my arms and flung Ian over my head and over the edge of the building right above my head. Not wasting an instant, I lept back to my feet and charged, lunging from roof to roof as I had been doing until I was sure I was past Ian, then I lept to the ground and ran full throttle. At this point, I didn't care anymore who all saw me flashing like a lightning bolt. I _had_ to get that statue! I felt Ian's presence again, but this time he wasn't after me. He was trying to get ahead of me. He wanted the statue too…he understood. The race was on.

We both arrived at the museum pretty much in unison, and we both tore through the crowds and straight into the blazing building. I knew exactly where to go, as I had just been there, but I didn't know if Ian knew. If he didn't already, he would probably just follow me since we were both after the same thing. I was wrong. He sped away from me down a separate corridor, but I got the overwhelming sense that he knew exactly what he was doing, so instead, I followed him. I pursued him down the corridor, dodging flames and falling debris and squinting through the smoke. It was hard to keep up with him, but I always managed to keep him just within the borders of my sight. I got fairly close behind him at the same moment in which I spotted the sign labeling the ancient Egypt exhibit. Unable to fight back a flourish, I dove at Ian's legs, swiftly knocking them from beneath him before pushing off of the floor with my hands, flipping in the air, and landed athletically on my feet again. Without blinking, I continued running, now knowing where to go. He had indeed known a shortcut, and I prayed to Bast that the statue was unharmed. I slammed into the exhibit room where the statue was housed in its glass case. This room was completely untouched, but I had no time to ponder over that. Ian was only seconds behind me, and I had to move. Flying across the room, I slammed my fist into the glass, shattering it instantly and reached in, grabbing the statue in both hands and lifted it out, gripping it against my chest. It was surprisingly lightweight, and I presumed it must have been made of hollow bronze. Ian appeared in the doorway at that moment, blocking my exit. I had to think fast; the ceiling above was crumbling. I had an idea.

I turned to face him, stroking the statue as though it were a holy relic and smiled at him. "You want this statue, right?" I said smoothly, making my voice very silky and tempting. He growled at me and stalked closer. I blinked, my smile sweetening. "Oh come now, we can negotiate like proper adults, don't you think? Now listen, we are both in the heart of an enormous burning building that is bound to erupt at any time. We both need to get out, and we both want this statue. Either we negotiate, or we both die trying to escape while we also fight over the artifact."

He stopped, his growl dying in his throat. I knew I had him. "I'm listening," he muttered, his eyes locked on the statue in my arms.

"Here's the deal: we help each other out of here, and we'll dispute the statue once we're outside and away from the crowds." I tucked the statue gingerly under my arm. "We can't let the authorities get the statue from us, so let's get this out of the way first and fight later. What do you say, do we have an agreement?"

He paused, deliberating. The ceiling above my head slacked ever so slightly, and I broke out in a slight sweat, getting very nervous. Come on, just agree already! Finally, he nodded. "Agreed."

I extended my hand. "It isn't a proper English settlement until we shake on it," I pointed out, looking as sincere as I could. He frowned irritably, but stepped toward me. Yes, yes, that's it! He reached out for my hand, but before he could grasp it, I was in action again. In a blur of movement, I jerked my hand back, clenched it into a fist, and bashed it right into his forehead, square between his eyes. He cried out and staggered, dropping to the floor, disoriented. I lept over him and ran for the door, the ceiling collapsing in a mess of dust, flames and sheetrock behind me. I couldn't help but let out a loud and hearty laugh as I broke free from the collapsing chamber and tore back down the hallway. He had actually fallen for it! Evidently the cat within also made me a much smoother deceiver than I had ever even thought myself capable of. I made it all the way back to the front lobby and prepared to leap right through the front window, as it was the quickest escape. Again, my victory was short-lived. Before I could pounce, I was pounced. I grunted, the air knocked clean out of me. I felt a sharp pain rack my skull as my head hit the wall, and the statue was snatched from my arms. A moment later, the dark figure of Ian was gone, the glass of the window raining down on me like a spring shower. I had lost…

I was disoriented, in pain, and choking. I had to get out before the whole thing gave way, but I just couldn't move. My head throbbed and my vision swam; my thoughts spun eratically and my breaths jerked and spasmed like cramped muscles. My chest was on fire as I tried to catch my breath, and my throat stung as I coughed against the thick smoke. Finally, after what seemed like a hellish eternity, I dragged myself up as best I could and crawled out through the broken window, carefully avoiding the remaining shards of glass. I dropped weakly onto the concrete outside and began to stagger away as fast as I could, which was still quite slow. I managed, however, to get away and cross the street just before the museum fell with a mighty crash and rumble. The ground shook under my feet, and even that mild vibration was enough to throw my balance. I leaned against a street lamp for a moment to recover, then proceeded forward.

Ian had the statue; I had failed. I didn't know what sort of consequences that would lead to, but I had such a wretched feeling about it that I could have vomited. Tears made their way to my eyes, then down my cheeks. Choked sobs racked my shoulders as I walked. I didn't honestly know why I was crying, but I knew this was really bad. I knew the situation had just gotten so, so much worse. What would the cats think? What would my friends think? My heart skipped a beat and I sobbed again. I would have to tell them everything; how I was caught, how I actually got the statue and pulled a master trick on Ian, how I was naive and stupid enough to let my guard down, and how I lost the most important item in existence at the current time. I felt myself falling apart at the seams, breaking down inside. Everyone was going to be so angry with me. Maybe not my friends, but the cats would be furious. They just had to be…I may have just doomed our entire cause. I had probably just sabotaged the very purpose of our rescue and recreation. How was I to explain that I had probably just helped the criminals win? How was I to explain that I had probably just destroyed the world…

I looked at my watch. It was nine o'clock. Zack was going to kill me anyway for being so late. He was probably worrying himself into a frenzy. I sniffled, attempting to vanquish what remained of my tears as I neared the yard's gates. I felt a funny sensation in my head and blinked for a confused moment before realizing with great relief that it was only Bomba. I closed my eyes, responding to her brief contact with one of my own, showing her where I was. My legs buckled, and I hit the ground, whimpering in anguish, both physical and emotional. They were going to hate me.

A/N: Wuh, oh…looks like lots of trouble now! Boy is Gina ever in some emotional distress, am I right? ;P And Ian is a cat person! Tell me honestly, how many of you actually saw that one coming? ;D

What sayest thou, dear readers? Ian has the statue of Bast, Gina is hurt, and things just got much worse for everyone because of it! Do you think Gina's fear is justified? How do you think the cats and her friends will react to the story? Do you think any of them will be angry or do you predict that all will be forgiven? Will the teens still be allowed to stay, or will Old Deuteronomy or Munkustrap decide that it's best for them to leave? For that matter, what if someone only wants Gina gone for losing the statue? So many possibilities! *bounces*

Now then…did you enjoy the fight scene? All that action? You've got to admit, Gina's sly trick on Ian was pure genius, even if it did only succeed for a minute. I'm actually very unexperienced when it comes to writing extended scenes of fighting or continuous action, so please tell me if it was good! Were you on the edge of your seat? If you were, don't bother scooting back because we've got a lot more coming up ahead! Wooo!

R&R cuz I love ya! XD


	9. Identity Crises

A/N: Heehee, I loved that last chapter, and it looks like you all did too!

Micale: Woo, you go girl! You were the first reviewer! 50 fic points to you! XD You may be right about the hideout eventually being discovered, but it may end up resulting in an all-out fight. Or maybe they'll have to leave the junkyard long before any possible discovery. For that matter, what's going to happen if their parents are looking for them? ;) So many questions, so many possibilities. *grins* I have a way of hooking readers into something that they're typically not fans of. My grandmother typically isn't big on vampire, supernatural type stuff, but she read my Dark Moon Saga books (the first two, anyway), and she loved them. She said it even surprised her how much she enjoyed them. So yeah…I have a tendency to make people addicted to my writing. XD

Lealeigh Rush: OK, I honestly have no clue how you come up with Ian being Growltiger. There's nothing to suggest that. What if the mastermind has multiple cat people working for him/her? Perhaps I am applying the good ol' red herring to lead the reader off course so they won't suspect the real truth? *smirks* There's a bunch of secrets here…some obvious, some almost impossibly hidden. This story is almost like one of those fun I Spy books we used to read in elementary school…hahaha. Anywho, I am quite curious about what makes you think Growltiger is Ian. It's possible, don't get me wrong…as stated before, I won't say whether you're wrong or right, but I will mess with your head a little to get you thinking. And as for the quick update…yes, I typically update fairly quickly unless something in reality interferes or unless I just can't feel the inspiration. I can't write if I don't feel it, so if there's ever a time when I get a total writer's block and just can't think, I'll be sure to let all of you know. I can typically feel a block coming a chapter before it happens. So if at the end of this chapter I were to get a block for the next one, you'd know in the note at the end of this chapter. :D

Passionate Admiral: *grins broadly* Perhaps he did call the mastermind sir, but here's another thought to consider: perhaps even Growltiger doesn't know exactly who he is working for. If it is a female, maybe she is under a sort of disguise. I'm very glad that you're open to either possibility…not to come across as short or rude, but it drives me crazy when people try to assume certain things about my stories. I love guesses, calculations, and theories, but when people are all like, "No way, it just has to be this way because…" So I'm glad to know that you're keeping your mind open to other twists for this story. To me, that's the sign of a great reader! And yes, Zack is very much in love with Gina, just the same as Darius is with Lisa. The four main characters truly and deeply care for one another, and they will never willingly betray each other. I based the initial bond depth between the teens and cats off of the rider/dragon bond in the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini, but I made my own personal adjustments, allowing certain things and taking away others. More about the capabilities of the bond will be revealed later in the story, but it's just not that crucial to explain right now. I'm glad you could imagine the chase and fight so well! As I've said multiple times before, that's the kind of detail and result I aim for in my writing, so it thrills me to no end to know that it's successful! Yes, I enjoyed Gina's plot of trickery. Another aspect that I took from the Catwoman movie, the inner cat gives the human every quality that they lacked before. Gina was never a fighter, nor was she deceptive, sly, or even remotely an angry person, but now that she is learning to embrace the feline soul within her, she is gaining those qualities, as will the other three teens. While it is a shame, even to me, Ian getting the statue is an overall crucial point in the story. It is what allows the eventual happenings to come to pass. The museum burning up? *grins* That was the twist…I'm sure nobody expected it to happen so soon, but therein lies the surprise. And I read and reviewed your one-shot, as you requested. :D Keep reviewing!

Jennifer: I'm glad you liked it! I actually got really excited when I uploaded it to FanFiction because every chapter up until chapter 8 was like 2 or 3 thousand something words, which is great, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't seem to surpass that! I'd write and write and write until I thought for sure it had to be a nice long chapter, and then I'd upload it and see that, again, it didn't reach 4,000. The last chapter, however, was over 5,200 words! I bounced all over the place for a few seconds. XD I'm hoping I can do more chapters like that. I swear it was that big long action scene that gave it the extra word boost. XD

OK, so in one of my above review responses, I mentioned the teens' parents, which got me to thinking. And I can't decide, so I want to know what you guys think. Would you like to see a glimpse of their parents? Would you like to know if they are searching or if they are doing as their children requested? Are you even interested in that angle of the story at all? Please give me your thoughts on this, because I could put it to good use somewhere in the story, but it's not so crucial that I need it either. Either way you choose, I can make something good happen. So tell me: Would you like the parents to be included, or would you only like a little glimpse of what they're doing from time to time?

So, for the third chapter in a row, I only half know what I'm doing. I swear, I'm horrible at coming up with things just to fill space. If you guys have ideas for things, not necessarily big things, but just space-filling material, please tell me! Cuz I just might use them! This is my biggest weakness in my writing. I have a very hard time filling space; I can do it okay when I'm actually in the middle of it, but I can't plan anything uneventful ahead of time. So if you come up with anything, even just a silly little scenario, share it with me!

Chapter 8

Identity Crises

{Lisa}

Demeter flicked my arm with her tail, and on impulse, I opened my mind to her. Instantly, my mind was filled with sight and she lept onto my shoulders to allow me a better view from my own height. My sight, as real and true as it was, was artificial. It didn't come from my eyes; it came from Demeter's. If she stood on my shoulders, it was at the proper level to be my sight, so I was able to walk and maneuver myself as normally as if I weren't blind. If she perched in a tree or above me somewhere, she provided a much better vantage point to show me my surroundings. We operated this way whenever we were training. I would spar with Darius or Zack while Demeter sat above me on a pile of junk and focused on me as well as my opponents. As a result, I could see my entire surroundings up to a fifteen foot radius. I even took on both Darius and Zack at the same time. I saw my own movements as though I were watching a movie, and as long as I kept my eyes closed and concentrated solely on that mental vision, I hit my mark every time. It was simply amazing.

Now, as my mental sight returned, I gasped. Zack and Darius were running toward the yard's gates, and beyond them, I could just barely make out Gina's form, motionless on the ground. "Gina!" I cried, taking off after them. Already prepared and braced for sudden movements, Demeter clung tightly to my shirt with her claws. I caught up with Zack and Darius almost immediately, and the three of us pushed through the gate and on through to Gina's side. I knelt beside her as Zack scooped her into his arms. "Gina! Gina, oh Bast, are you okay?"

She sniffled softly and covered her face with her hands, "Oh Bast…you guys, I'm so sorry!"

Bombalurina bolted between us, leaping onto my knee to look at Gina. "What happened? What has happened to you?"

It took several minutes and a few encouragements from all of us, but finally Gina told her story, starting from the beginning when she arrived at the museum. Her neck was slightly bruised from Ian's claws, and her clothes were a bit charred from running through smoke and flames, as well as being slightly torn, both from the broken glass and Ian's swipes. She looked awful, and she was an utter mess. Zack held her close as we listened, occasionally having to wait as she paused to sob. She was terrified that she would be in some sort of trouble. We didn't know until her story was done that Old Deuteronomy had also come out and had overheard everything.

"I cannot lie…this is very bad news. But under no circumstance will we exile any of you from our home. You have committed no crime against us. Come along…we best get back inside." With that, he turned and began to stroll back into the yard. We followed, Zack carrying a still shaken Gina as she clung to him and hid her face in his chest. I didn't know what to make of the whole thing. I knew what we were expected to do, sort of, but there were still so many questions without answers. I was under the impression that we were supposed to guard the statue, but now Ian had it, and he knew for sure that we were all alive. Rather, he knew for sure that Gina was alive…I just assumed that he must know the rest of us were as well. Once we were back in the main area of the yard, Deuteronomy joined Munkustrap on his tire and turned to face us again. "Now, my friends, I think it is time we have a little talk about your identities."

I blinked, already a bit nervous. "Our identities?"

Deuteronomy nodded, then turned to Munkustrap. Munkustrap cleared his throat and gazed at us all kindly. "Yes. You see, we feel that it may be a danger for you to remain exactly as you are. You can still be yourselves here with us, but whenever you are out around other cats or people, we think it would be safer for you to go by different names. Preferrably names such as ours. No middle or last names…just names to go by. Nothing more, nothing less."

We all paused, taking this in. "Do we need to change our appearances?" Darius asked after a long silence.

"It probably wouldn't hurt. Again, this will only be in effect when you are out and about. It won't be necessary here in the yard."

We were silent again, all of us thinking this over. "Alonzo," Darius said after another long pause.

We all looked at him. "What?" I asked, confused for the moment.

"I'll go by Alonzo," he explained. "I used to have a friend back in America named Alonzo. He was from Mexico, and we were like brothers. My name will be Alonzo to honor him."

Munkustrap smiled. "Very well. We will occasionally call you by these names, so that you can learn to respond to them."

I thought for a bit, scratching Demeter's chin absently. "I think I like Exotica."

Darius glanced at me and grinned. "Where did you come up with that?"

I shrugged. "You picked a Spanish name, and Exotica sounds Spanish to me, plus the fact that I'm not exotic in the least, so I thought maybe I'd poke fun at myself." They all chuckled and I smiled.

"Well, I love it," Darius complimented, reaching out to wrap his arm around my shoulders. I smiled up at him, and Demeter purred her approval of my chosen name as well.

"Mungojerrie!" Zack blurted abruptly, earning a much stranger look from the group. "I have an uncle named Jerrie, and he likes mangos, but I wanted to add my own touch so instead of mango, I said mungo. Sort of like, you know, humungo or something like that."

We laughed. "Humungo?" Gina asked, seeming to be getting over her shock. "What does that even mean?"

Zack grinned and laughed. "It's a variant of humongous. You know, some people say gigantor instead of gigantic. It's just something to laugh at."

Gina grinned devilishly, and I just knew something good was coming. "Okay, then I'm going to be called Rumpleteazer."

"Okay, now I've just got to know where that comes from," I chimed, knowing she was wanting someone to ask.

She grinned hugely at me. "My favorite fairy tale as a girl was Rumplestiltskin, hence the rumple, and my favorite thing in the world to do is tease Zack, hence the teaser! Rumpleteazer!" We all got a good laugh out of that, even the cats.

"Truly clever code names," granted Misto with a smirk. "If I didn't know better, I would say you four were born felines!"

"Technically we were, just not in our previous life," I pointed out, my smile fading somewhat as I thought of my parents. "I wonder if everybody is doing all right," I mused, trailing off.

The others' faces became somber as well. Those were difficult waters to tread for us. We could all only pray that they weren't trying to look for us. How were we going to change our appearances though? We only had so much money, and we needed to keep as much of that saved as possible for food, so it wasn't like we could just stroll about buying new clothes to wear and getting makeovers to disguise our identities. We could adopt the attitudes, certainly, but how would we pull the rest off?

Demeter heard my ponderings and purred into my ear. "Just leave that to us. We have our ways."

Shortly after that, Misto, Skimble, and Bustopher left the yard for a while, promising to be back with new clothes for us by dawn. I hadn't the slightest idea how they were going to pull that off, but I trusted them. I climbed up onto the tallest junk pile and sat on a box, gazing up at the stars and the moon, the sight provided by Demeter. I had never known the night sky could be so beautiful, and it was amazing. I was actually seeing, however artificially, and it took my breath away. The world was so beautiful, everything so much more alive that I could have cried. Darius joined me after a short bit and Demeter left us alone to give us some privacy, even though I told her she didn't have to. He sat beside me and wrapped an arm around me. I leaned against him and rested my cheek on his shoulder.

"Beautiful night," he murmured after a moment.

"Mmhmm," I agreed softly, closing my eyes contently.

"I've been trying to figure all this out. First off, why on earth does Ian want to bomb the school on graduation day, and second of all, why the heck does he need that statue of Bast for it? I mean, I realize he is a cat like us, but what does the statue have to do with bombing the school?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. This entire mess is confusing to me. I'm just sort of taking it as it comes. Maybe he's going to use the statue as the bomb?"

"Maybe…but why do I get the feeling that that's an absolutely terrible thing that we simply can't allow?"

I pondered. In an attempt at humor, I chuckled. "Maybe because of that silly 'you break it, you buy it' rule? I'm sure that statue must have cost about a billion pounds or so. And I haven't the foggiest idea how we will ever repay the museum for such an artifact."

We both laughed for a minute, but then we both sobered and fell into another silence. "Seriously," Darius murmured quietly after a moment. "I just don't see the connection. I don't see any link between blowing a school into oblivion and an ancient one-eyed statue of a cat goddess. It makes no sense."

"No, there's a link somewhere," I encouraged. "I know there is…it's like one of those pictures in the art museum that seem to be of nothing or about nothing, but when you look deeply enough, it makes perfect sense. There's a reason behind this, we just can't see it right now."

Darius paused, and I could hear the frown in his tone. "Well, somebody better see it pretty quick, otherwise I think a lot of people are going to be in a lot of trouble…life-threatening even." I nodded, and we fell into yet another somber silence. I felt uneasy and nestled a little closer to him, and he tightened his arm around me comfortingly. If I had had anything to say at all about our situation as a whole-our new lives, new powers, and oddly-placed position in what appeared to be a major supernatural crime wave-it would have to be that at least I wasn't going through it alone. Granted, any of my three friends would have been just fine, but I was especially grateful that I still had my Darius. Even if he hadn't been around that night and I had been the only one killed and reborn, I don't think I would have been able to hide it from him for more than a few days. He would be the first, if not the only one to know about my predicament. I loved him too much for that…and he didn't even know it yet.

{Misto}

I flicked my ears in amusement as we snuck onto the Night Mail. Skimble said there were some old luggage bags in one of the luggage cars that still had old clothes in them, presumably that people either forgot or were all too eager to get rid of. It was meant to be a surprise, so I had to be careful not to connect to Darius by accident and reveal our location. They knew we were off to get them some clothing, but they had no idea just how much we were bringing or where we were getting it from. Bustopher and I followed closely behind Skimble as he lept aboard the train. One of the humans aboard gave us an odd look, but he seemed to shrug it off when he noticed that we were following Skimble. I suppose there are advantages to being tribemates to Skimbleshanks.

"Now Skimble," Bustopher meowed softly once we were past all the occupied cars, "you're certain that these articles will not be missed?"

"Positive," Skimble affirmed with a little grin. "Nobody ever comes to this car anymore, and the few that do don't give these cases a second glance." He turned to me, flicking his tail toward the cases. "Can you zap them all back to the yard?"

"Cases and all?" I asked, my own grin spreading. He nodded. "Absolutely. Just these three?"

"These three, and those four," he said, pointing his nose at four more cases a few yards off in the next corner.

"Wait a moment,"Bustopher interrupted. "If Misto is to magic them back to the yard, what did you need me for?"

Skimble's grin grew to an almost Cheshire-sized grin. "Oh, that's easy…exterminator."

Bustopher looked perplexed. "Excuse me?"

At that moment, there was a little squeaking sound, almost like a rotten floorboard and a large rat scurried out from beneath one of the cases. "Oh my," I murmured, blinking in shock. I had never seen such a large fat rat. It would make one bloody heck of a meal for three cats…if it weren't so large…

"Skimbleshanks, what is this?" Bustopher asked, his ears flattening in a mixture of confusion and uncertainty.

"He ain't afraid of me or my mates," Skimble explained, "but he says he's petrified of giant cats."

"I beg your pardon, but I am most certainly not a-"

"Giant cat!" the rat screeched, rising onto its hind legs and bristling in terror. "Annabelle! Get the little ones! Our worst fears have come to devour us all!" I bit my lip, gulping down my laughter as all seven of the cases began to wriggle, and dozens of little rats bolted out from beneath them, running for the open door. The big rat, the father, swiped and spat at Bustopher, forcing his way past him before following his children and his mate.

Bustopher stepped back, allowing the rat easy passage, his eyes wide in open shock. Once they were gone, he turned to Skimble with an air of disapproval. "Now what was that?" he demanded, looking slightly peeved.

Skimble just smiled "You see, I've never been able to clear out that whole family because that papa rat is much too fast. He bites my paws and ears, sometimes clinging to my tail so that I can't reach him. Even I'm a bit sympathetic, and didn't want to let Misto magic the sacks back to the yard where a tribe of cats would spring at the sound of a buffet." He paused, his expression turning sheepish. "That…and Zack tells me that Gina is afraid of rats."

I couldn't help it any longer. I burst into laughter, my whole body shaking with chuckles. "Oh the look on your face, Bustopher!"

He flicked his tail in agitation, but smiled slightly after a moment. "Well, you could have simply told me, Skimble."

"That wouldn't have been as amusing," Skimble said simply, laughing as well. "Now, let's get these clothes back to the others."

I nodded, pulling myself together and trotted over to the first of the cases. I waved my paws over it, then snapped my claws. With a swirl of light and a soft crackle, it was gone. I repeated the process with the others until all seven were gone. "That ought to last them a while, provided they don't all get burnt and shredded too quickly."

Skimble smiled slightly. "I'm afraid there will be plenty more fights to come in the near future. We'll have to make do with what we have and what we can scavenge for them."

The thre of us fell into a somber silence as we departed from the train, having to hurry before the train began to leave the station. Not that I was questioning Bast, but why did the cat-people have to remain mostly human in appearance? Certainly we could help to provide what they needed, but as dangerous as things were for them, it would have just been easier for them to hide without feeling self conscious if they had fur all over like we did. It would at least cover them. I rolled my shoulders as we headed down a side alley to hed back home for the night. I supposed everything would work itself out in time.

My thoughts shifted to Lisa. Darius cared a great deal for her, and he was concerned for her safety despite the fact that Demeter could now allow her to see. If they were ever separated, she would be blinded again and would need protectors. Plus, how could Demeter properly defend herself if she was providing the eyes for Lisa in a fight where she had to be higher than Lisa to help her see the ranks around her? He was frightened for her, and who could blame him? She had the potential to be an excellent fighter…she just couldn't see. I thought about the prophesy; it stated that there was a direct ancestor of Bast. If that were the case, why did we have four transformed humans? Were they all part of the same heir? Or was there something wrong? It made me nervous all the same. Furthermore, why was Lisa still blind? Wasn't the life supposed to be brand new? And if it was, why wasn't the veil over her eyes lifted? Why would Bast leave her blind? It just worried me, and made me wonder if there was anything I could do to help. Could I make her see?

A/N: OK…first off, I owe all of you an extreme apology. I'm so sorry that A, this chapter took so long, B, this chapter is so short, and C, this chapter is so uneventful. I know I kept you waiting forever, but I got caught up in my class and in other things and had a writer's block halfway through. I couldn't think of a single thing to do, and I still sort of can't. So, warning you now, I'm not sure what will happen in the next chapter or how long it will take…but please give me your thoughts and ideas! Pleeeease! I really can't do it without you!

Now that that's out of the way…what do you guys think of their new names? ;D Do you like the way I had them come up with them, and their reasoning behind each name? I thought I would come up with my own origins. :D Do you have any predictions on their futures? What each one might do, what might happen to them? And do you think Misto will be able to fix Lisa's sight, or do you think it's a Bast-ordered blindness?

And what about that heir of Bast thing? Do you think it's all four of them? If not, who do you think could be the chosen heir, and why?

R&R, and please please please give me ideas!


End file.
